The Strain of Revalations
by Darien Fawkes
Summary: Follows "The Cost of Secrets". The Rangers have learned how hard secrets are to keep. Now, they have to find a way to live with the problems those secrets cause.
1. Chapter 1

**Legal: **I do not own Power Rangers or the associated names, places, characters, events etc. Anything not covered by the above rights should be considered purely the creation of the author.

**Rating: **T – there will be some adult themes.

Noah was at his locker, sorting some books and assorted items into his bag as Jake arrived by his locker, looking surprisingly sad for a student on a Friday afternoon at Harwood High School. While all the other students were incredibly high-spirited, looking forward to the weekend ahead, and all the plans they had made, dates, sports games, parties...or even just lounging around in front of the television, Jake's plans were decidedly limited. It was the first weekend since he had been grounded for a fortnight for assaulting another student. While he still believed that Dean deserved everything he got, and a lot more for spreading Gia's secret before she was ready to confide in people, he still regretted the fact that it restricted his ability to hang out with his friends.

"Hey." He sighed dejectedly. "Want to come over this weekend?"

"Really?" Noah asked. "I thought you were grounded."

"I am, but mom and dad decided that it would be more of a punishment if I spent my weekend studying." Jake informed him. "They know you always push me when I study. As long as I promise no video games or leaving the house, I think they'll probably be alright with you coming over to make sure I work."

"Well, I'd love to visit, but I'm afraid I have some plans of my own." Noah told him. Jake watched as she loaded some circuit boards into his bag.

"Extra credit project for Mr Farley?" Jake asked him. Noah just shook his head.

"Not this time, actually this stuff is for Tensou." Noah informed him. Jake just frowned.

"Wait, Tensou?" He asked. "What, is he sick or something?"

"He's a robot, he doesn't get sick." Noah reminded him, shaking his head gently. "No, he just contacted me out the blue and said he had seen the programme I wrote to hack Dean. He then asked me to get this stuff and meet him at the command centre this weekend."

"Why?" Jake asked him.

"I guess I'll find out." Noah told him. "Sorry I couldn't be more helpful."

Just then, they saw Gia and Emma arriving. There were a few students giving them some looks, and a couple of whispers, but on the whole things were dying down. Since Gia had confronted almost the whole student body, demanding that they say anything they had to say to her face, she had very effectively disarmed them of the power of their words. Showing them that she could withstand the barbs being thrown at her, they had started to back off. While she still heard some things being whispered, the fact was that now she wasn't reacting to it, they were starting to get bored, and were starting to look for the next scandal.

"Hey guys, are either of you free this weekend?" Jake asked them. "Come on, I'm going to be locked up at home all weekend! Can someone come over and study with me so that it doesn't completely suck?"

"Sorry, but I'm kind of busy." Gia said regretfully. "I'm moving."

"You're...you're moving?" Jake asked. "Isn't that a little extreme? The other kids..."

"Don't worry, I'm not leaving town or anything." Gia told them, looking to Emma who smiled sweetly.

"I talked to my dad and explained what happened." Emma informed them. "He said that Gia can stay with us."

"Ernie's great and everything, but his apartment isn't exactly huge." Gia told them. "He understood when I told him."

"Well, I'm glad things worked out for you." Jake said sincerely. Just then, the doors opened and his dad walked in, looking a little sour. Jake just sighed.

"Well, that's the warden." He sighed. "I guess I'll see you guys next week."

"Unless there's a monster attack." Noah told him. Jake just nodded. While he knew it would only risk further punishment, he knew that his responsibility as a Ranger had to come first. He could face the wrath of his parents later.

"You know I'll be there if I'm needed." Jake assured them, before heading over to his father. Gia just looked at the others.

"Well, I have to go and get my stuff from Ernie's." Gia added. "I'll see you back at yours."

"I'll see you there." Emma replied. Noah just looked a little surprised.

"You're not going with her?" He asked. Emma just smiled.

"I would, but one of the Freshman kids in the nature club told us he's found something amazing." Emma explained as she started to walk with him. "A Hallderman Click Beetle."

"Seriously? That's amazing!" Noah asked her. Emma just took a step back, looking a little surprised. "They aren't normally native to these parts."

"You...you know that?" She asked. Noah just shrugged.

"Just because I'm happier with a computer than a nature hike doesn't mean I don't appreciate other branches of science." Noah explained. "They don't normally do well in this climate though."

"That's why the kid captured it. He's keeping it so he can control its environment, keep it somewhere it can be happy." Emma explained. "Obviously I'd prefer it if it could be released back somewhere with its own kind, but this is the next best thing. He agreed to let me take pictures of it for our database."

"I didn't know you were into that kind of thing." Noah teased her, kind of payback for her presumption that he wouldn't know what the click beetle was. She seemed to take it as what it was and nodded.

"It means we don't have to use paper." She said with a smirk. Just then, they saw Troy coming towards them, reading a book. Because of this, he didn't see where he was going, and almost walked into another kid. It was one of the local bullies, Calvin, and his huge, hulking side-kick Dirk. They, like the other kids, had been quick to get on Gia's case about the fact she was gay, but now that she wasn't giving them the satisfaction they wanted by rising to their taunts, they were looking for new targets. Troy looked up as he almost bumped into the smaller of the two, Calvin.

"Sorry." He muttered, before stepping aside. Dirk did likewise, getting into his path. Troy just looked up as Calvin came into view, meaning that he was now between the two bullies. He put his book away.

"Hey wait." Noah said as he saw Emma about to intervene. He could see by the look on her face that she was intent on stepping in to help, but he didn't see the need. Troy had shown them more than once that he was more than capable of handling himself.

"There're two of them." Emma pointed out. "Besides, we already have one Ranger grounded for another week, the last thing we need is a second going the same way."

"Trust me, Troy's got this." Noah told her. "He's cool as ice."

Troy just took a deep breath, and looked Calvin straight in the eye.

"Can I get past please?" He asked. "This corridor's big enough for all of us."

"Do you know what we call new kids around here?" He asked him. "Fresh Meat!"

Dirk jsut stood, chuckling mindlessly. Troy took a deep breath and focussed. Just as he had always been trained, he had every intention of using violence only as a last resort, but that didn't stop his instincts kicking in. Dirk was significantly bigger, so he had every intention of taking him down quickly before he could do too much harm. As for Calvin, he was about the same height, but was a little skinny. He wasn't as much of a threat as Dirk. Troy realised that Calvin was the brains of the outfit, not that that was saying much, and so he figured that facing him down was the way to go. He just made sure he kept track of where Dirk was in case he tried to get the drop on him. Calvin saw the way he was looking at him.

"What's wrong new kid? You gonna cry?" Calvin asked him. Troy just glared at him.

"Look into my eyes." He stated. "Do you see any tears?"

Calvin didn't know what to do. With Dirk by his side, people generally didn't stand up to him. Having a guy bigger than many linebackers standing right behind him tended to instil fear in the people he taunted, but not Troy. He could tell that Troy had called him on his veiled threat. Now, he had two choices, he could actually try his luck, something he was hesitant to do, or walk away, hopefully without appearing too weak. He just sneered.

"This kid's boring me." He snorted. "Come on Dirk."

As they both left, Troy went to his locker, where Emma and Noah were waiting. Emma was smiling, completely impressed. She had been worried that Troy would get into trouble, or that he would get hurt if Dirk and Calvin had chosen to attack him. In the end though, he had managed to end the situation without a single punch needing to be thrown. She was finding it hard not to stare at him.

"Dude, that was totally awesome. You were like Nightwing or something!" Noah complimented him. "How do you stay so calm?"

"I used to get bullied as a kid, that's why my parents put me into Karate in the first place." Troy told them. "My first sensei always told me that bullies are kind of like dogs."

"Dogs?" Emma asked, looking a little confused.

"Yeah, you don't see a Doberman or an Alsatian barking at everything that moves." He explained. "Because they're strong enough to know they'll be safe. Something like a Jack Russel though...it's scared of other dogs. It knows it could get hurt, so it makes as much noise as possible, draws attention to itself so that all the other dogs know it's dangerous."

"It puts on a show." Noah concluded. Troy just nodded.

"The ones that make the most noise are always the ones with the least confidence that they can get what they want without making others more scared than they are." He continued. "Often, if you face up to them, they'll be the ones that back down. They're too scared to back up their threats."

"What about when they are?" Emma asked him. Troy heard a wail from down the hall, and Dirk's distinctive brainless laugh.

"You know what a Black Belt is?" Troy asked Emma and Troy just nodded. "By the time I was fourteen, I had four."

He rounded the corner, finding that Dirk and Calvin had indeed found a new victim. He looked like a Freshman, short and just a little chubby, with glasses. He was jumping around between the bullies, reaching for and trying to catch a yellow and clear plastic container they were throwing around.

"Hey, give that back, you'll hurt it!" He whined. "There's a live bug in there, you'll hurt it!"

"Eugene?" Emma called out, seeing the kid. She suddenly started to feel her anger rising, making her way over a few paces behind Troy. Eugene was the kid from her biology club, which meant she knew what was likely to be in that container. "The Click Beetle!"

"Aw...you gonna cry, cry baby?" Calvin asked him. Eugene just stared at him, close to tears. Calvin just seemed to take a sick satisfaction in the torment he was causing. At least, he did...up until his wrist was caught in a powerful grip and twisted sharply. He could feel it bending a way it was clearly not meant to go, and felt intense pain. He looked up, seeing Troy as he snatched the container away.

"Don't!" Troy warned Dirk as he was about to move. "I'll break his wrist long before you get to me."

He then just turned to Calvin.

"Just because you're bigger, doesn't make you better." Troy told him, shoving him away. Calvin just held his wrist, which was in intense pain. "No matter how small, everything deserves respect."

"Whatever freak show." Calvin replied as he and Dirk walked away. "We'll be back for you later, when you don't have the babysitter kid."

As they left, Troy handed the container back to Eugene.

"Thanks." He said gratefully.

"No problem kid." Troy told him. "Say, what is that anyway?"

"It's a Hallderman Click Beetle." He told him.

"They're really rare, especially in these parts. I think this might be the only one in Harwood County." Emma told him, coming over to Eugene. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'll be OK, thanks to him." He replied. "The container isn't broken, and the beetle doesn't seem to be hurt."

"Then, maybe we can go and take those photos I promised." Emma answered.

"Well, I have training to do." Troy stated, looking to Eugene. "Have fun kid."

"I need to be going too." Noah told them. "Ten...uh...dad won't wait forever."

As they both left, Emma put her arm around Eugene and took him away. She cast a long look down the hall.

"What a guy." She whispered softly. Eugene just looked up at her.

"Are you into him or something?" He asked her. Emma just tried to hide her face with her hair.

"Let's just get those pictures taken and write up some notes." She told him. "The sooner we can get him back to your tank, the better."

Meanwhile, on the Warstar ship, Creepox came into a room, finding Vrak tending to some wounds. Although he had pulled out before the Rangers could do too much harm, he had taken some damage. Creepox just leaned against a pillar, watching him tend his injuries.

"Well, it looks like your buddy Dizchord did a really good job of helping put the Rangers in their place." He taunted him.

"Careful Creepox." Vrak snarled. "I may be injured, but after being humiliated like that..."

"Humiliated? I'll say. You have no idea how hard I laughed." Creepox chuckled. "I don't know what was funnier, watching you getting blasted clean across the city, or the way our lord dressed you down in front of everyone! I had to record the whole thing so I could watch it again and again and..."

"That is enough Creepox!" Vrak snapped, getting up. "I may have failed in that last endeavour, but I have still done much more than you ever have! You're just too obsessed with your petty grudge with the Red Ranger! You are doing nothing to further our cause!"

"Oh, but I am." He stated. "Once I take out the Red Ranger, the strongest of them, the others will fall in short order."

"Big words." Vrak sneered. "But that is all they are. At least I have put my money where my mouth is. I've put myself on the line, and have the scars to prove it. What have you done lately?"

"Funny you should ask." He answered. "As it happens, I have something in mind."

With that, he turned and left the room. Vrak went back to tending his injuries.

"Well, this could work out well for me." He stated. "If he actually succeeds, then I can launch my own attack. If he fails...well, at least I won't have to compete for my master's favour."

Back in Harwood County, Gia was in Ernie's apartment, gathering up her possessions. There wasn't much, she hadn't had much time to pack when her father had decided that his prejudice was more important to him than his daughter.

In some ways, she felt a little guilty about leaving. Ernie had been willing to take her into his home when she had no one else to turn to. Leaving like this almost felt like she was being ungrateful, but the fact was that Ernie's apartment wasn't big enough for both of them. As she packed up the last of her things, she zipped up her bag, and made her way into the main apartment, finding Ernie waiting for her.

"Do you have everything?" He asked her. Gia just nodded.

"Ernie, I don't want you to take this personally." She said apologetically. "You took me in when I had nowhere to go. You have no idea what that meant to me."

"Anything I can do to help." Ernie said with a smile. "I understand, a teenage girl needs her own space. This apartment was never an ideal solution."

"I just...I really am grateful." Gia stated. "If there's anything I can do..."

"Just keep coming to visit." He insisted. "I'd like to know you're doing alright."

Gia reached in, hugging him tightly. Ernie returned the gesture gratefully. As they parted, Gia looked at him.

"It's a shame you don't have a family." She told him. "You'd have been a great dad."

"Thank you." Ernie replied, forcing a smile. He hadn't told Gia about what had happened to his own family. He knew that there was no way she could have known, she couldn't have meant anything by what she had said. "I hope you are happy."

With that, Gia shouldered her bag, hugged Ernie one last time and left. Ernie just watched her go, hoping that she could find some peace in her life. Between the upheaval in her family, and the fact he had already figured out the responsibilities she had as a Ranger, he knew that for someone so young, she had a lot weighing on her. He could only do what he could to try and ease some of the burden, and right now, letting her go and stay with a friend was the best thing he could.


	2. The Hunt Begins

Noah teleported into the command centre, finding himself in a chamber he hadn't seen before. Normally when the Rangers came here, they only went to Gosei's chamber, but this one was very different. It was brightly lit, and instead of figurines of Rangers, the walls were lined with tools of all descriptions. Come Noah recognised, others, he had no idea of their purpose, or even if they were from Earth. There were work benches all around. Tensou rolled into view.

"You came." Tensou remarked. "Do you have them?"

"Yeah, I brought what you asked for." Noah replied, placing his backpack on a table. He had no idea what he wanted them for, but he imagined that it wasn't like Tensou could go to his local Radio Shack. "Say, what is this place?"

"You don't think all that Ranger tech just appeared by magic do you?" Tensou asked him. Noah smiled.

"You mean you...?"

"I created some of it." Tensou informed it. "Other things were created by...others. Still, it all needs special maintenance. That's where I come in."

"So, that leads to the next question. Why am I here?" Noah asked in response. Tensou just turned to face him.

"I saw that code you wrote to hack into the computer of the one that hurt Gia." Tensou informed him. "I also examined the improvements you made to the Snake Axe."

"I just figured switching out with a lighter alloy would allow it to be swung faster." Noah reasoned. "You know, force equals mass times acceleration? The reduction in mass is more than made up for by the acceleration, so the force is the same, perhaps even higher."

"Well, I've seen what you can do. For your age you show remarkable skills in programming and engineering." Tensou told him.

"Thanks." Noah answered. Tensou took some of the components out of his bag.

"So, I just wondered if you'd like to learn more." He explained. "I have extensive files on technology from numerous worlds. I could teach you much more than you're likely to learn in High School."

"Wait, are you serious?" Noah asked him. "You want me to be an apprentice?"

"If that's what you want to call it, then yes." Tensou replied. "Now, let's begin with a little circuitry. Watch what I do here, and see if you can replicate it."

Noah pulled up a chair next to Tensou as the robot activated some pneumatics in its body, raising itself level with the work bench to start work. He picked up a soldering iron and paid attention to what Tensou was doing. He had already started applying to universities, looking for courses, but Tensou had seen something in him and was already willing to give him more challenging work. He had even mentioned something about technology that wasn't from Earth! The fanatical puzzle solver in Noah just couldn't resist.

"Alright, show me everything you have to teach." Noah told him.

"To do that would take about...13,000 years give or take." Tensou informed him. "It's a shame you humans take so long to learn. I could have a new science installed in my data banks in a matter of hours." Noah just smiled.

"That doesn't mean I can't try." He stated.

Back in Harwood, Ernie was just getting over the worst of his after-school business when a woman walked in, looking around. He saw her approaching the desk. She was a little taller than him, and quite thin. She was wearing a pair of blue denims and a white blouse. Her hair was styled into a short, blonde bob. She got to the counter.

"Good afternoon, it's always a pleasure to receive new customers." He greeted her. "What can I get for you?"

"Um...nothing thanks, I was just looking for someone." She told him. "I heard my daughter was here."

"Most of the kids from the school come through here each day." He said with a shrug. "Feel free to take a look around, perhaps..."

"No, I heard she was staying here." She clarified. Ernie just sighed.

"Mrs Moran I presume?" He asked her. She just nodded.

"I just want to see my daughter." She told him. "Can you tell her...?"

"I cannot tell you where she went, but I can tell you that she is safe." Ernie replied as he went back to what he was doing. Mrs Moran could detect some coldness in his tone.

"Wait, are you saying she's not here?" She asked him.

"I took her in when she needed a home, but now she has made other arrangements." Ernie told her flatly. "Now, if you don't mind..."

"You can't keep me from my daughter!" She said angrily. Ernie just turned back to her.

"Your husband made your position quite clear when I saw him." Ernie interjected a little forcefully. "She is safe, but as for where she is, if she wanted you to know, I am sure she would have contacted you."

"My husband does not speak for me!" Mrs Moran demanded. "You have no right to cast judgement on me for my husband's actions."

"If Gia wants to see you, that is her business." Ernie told her. "Until then, I must ask you to leave."

Mrs Moran just resigned herself to the fact that Ernie wasn't going to be swayed. As she was about to leave, she paused.

"Thank you for taking care of her." She said as she left. Ernie just watched her go, before returning to his work.

In another part of town, Emma was walking Eugene home. They'd gotten a little carried away taking notes and pictures of the beetle for their biology club, and it was now a little late. Emma had insisted that she walk him home just to make sure he got there safely.

"Listen, you really shouldn't let what those guys did earlier upset you." Emma said as she walked with him. "There's no shame in being different. The world would be boring if everyone was the same."

"I'm just glad they didn't hurt him." Eugene replied, looking at the beetle in the container. The plastic kept the air inside warm, meaning that it would be comfortable, but it was no substitute for the simulated climate of the tank he had back home. Emma smiled; even now his first thought was for the beetle. "Say Emma, can...can I ask you something?"

"Well, that depends." Emma sighed. Eugene was a good kid, but it hadn't been that long since Gia's journal had gone online, and more than a few people had asked her awkward questions about it.

"Did you ever get...you know...people like that?" He asked. "You know, Dirk and Calvin I mean." Emma just stopped and turned to face Eugene. She was glad that he wasn't asking something she had no desire to go over again.

"Of course I did. I still do." Emma informed him. "I was always kind of an odd kid. Not everyone gets the whole nature thing like we do. A lot of kids thought I was freaky because I would rather be out taking pictures of trees and bugs than playing video games or shopping. So, they liked to give me a hard time about it."

She placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Just remember, the reason they make fun of you is because it makes them feel powerful if you're upset or scared of them." She reminded him. "Just ask yourself, if you did change, do you really think they'd stop? They might just find another reason to pick on you, or find someone else to pick on."

"So...they'll never stop?" Eugene asked her. Emma just sighed and shook her head.

"I don't know, sometimes people grow out of it. Sometimes they never do." Emma informed him. "Dad tells me there are a couple of guys at his office that still go out of their way to throw their weight around and make life miserable for the guys they work with. The trick is to not let people like that get to you."

"Aww, don't go telling him things like that." Emma heard a voice say. She froze to the spot as she recognised it. She turned slowly to see Creepox standing a little way off. "After all, fear is a good instinct. It lets you know when you're about to get crushed!"

"Emma?" Eugene stammered.

"Run Eugene." Emma snapped.

"But..."

"Know what I said about standing up to bullies?" She asked him. "Well, sometimes there a time to forget that and just run!"

With that, they turned and ran as fast as they could. Emma fell as a blast struck her on the right thigh. Her leg collapsed beneath her, causing her to face-plant into the dirt.

"Emma..."

"Just run Eugene!" She screamed at him. She had no doubt that Creepox was there for her, and she knew she couldn't morph while Eugene was around. As good a kid as he was, she couldn't take the chance that once he learned the hottest secret in town his enthusiasm wouldn't get the better of him before he could be convinced to keep it to himself. "Don't stop until you get home!"

"But..."

"Just go!" Emma yelled again. Seeing Creepox approaching, Eugene picked up a tree branch. Emma felt sickening terror as she realised what he was doing. He ran towards the alien, swinging wildly. Unfortunately, his carapace was so strong that even with a full-blooded strike to the head, he didn't even flinch. Creepox just smacked Eugene aside like he was nothing, leaving him lying in a heap in some bushes. Emma struggled back to her feet, but her leg wouldn't hold her. She was down to one leg already.

"He's just a kid!" Emma yelled at him. "It's me you want!"

"He's human isn't he?" Creepox stated. "I'll be after him eventually, but for now you're right. You're the one I'm after."

Emma hoped for some indication someone was coming to help her, but for now it looked like she was on her own. She was about to reach for her morpher, taking her chances of being seen, when she noticed something. Someone was picking Eugene up, putting him over his shoulder. She got a better look as he turned towards her, seeing it was Calvin. He must have been following them. Of course, if Calvin was there, then that meant that somewhere around..."

"Hey ugly!" She heard Dirk screaming as he rushed out of the bushes, throwing a rock at Creepox. He was distracting the alien, making him look away while Calvin got Eugene and ran. "Pick on someone your own size!"

"Like...you?" Creepox asked. Dirk just gulped as Creepox ran towards him.

"Oh shit!" He screamed as Creepox slashed at him, opening a nasty looking wound down his right arm. Emma pulled behind a tree out of sight as she realised what was going on. Dirk and Calvin were trying to help. Maybe if they believed she had escaped, they would get themselves out of there. She saw Dirk getting up and running off after Calvin and Eugene, cradling his arm as he went. She came back from her hiding place, limping into view.

"Alright, they're gone, now what do you want?" She asked him. Creepox just laughed.

"Ultimately it's the Red Ranger I want." Creepox informed her. "That doesn't mean I can't have a little warm-up first."

"Go Go Megaforce!" She called out, slamming her card into her morpher.

In another part of town, Mr Goodall was watching some television. She had messaged him to tell him she was going to be late. His daughter was so obsessed with her projects that it wasn't uncommon for her to return home long after dark. It wasn't like she ever gave him anything to worry about. She hadn't brought home any dodgy boyfriends, or came home drunk. She always got good grades in school...in all honesty, he had little to worry about with the occasional time she got home a little later than he'd like.

He heard the doorbell, and got up, making his way to the door. As he opened it, he saw Mrs Moran standing outside.

"Um...can I help you?" He asked her. He had known Mrs Moran through their daughters for a while now. Emma and Gia had spent quite a bit of time at each others' houses over the years. He didn't know what to think about the fact she was here though. He'd agreed to take Gia in once Emma explained that she wasn't welcome at her own house any longer. Mrs Moran just looked at him a little nervously.

"Please, I've been looking all over town." She begged him. "When the man in the ice-cream place said Gia had gone somewhere else to stay, I couldn't think of anywhere else she would go. Can I see her?"

"Sorry, but..."

"Please, I know this is difficult but..."

"No, you don't understand, I'd love to let you see her, but...she's not here." Mr Goodall informed her.

"She's not here?" Mrs Moran repeated. "But..."

"No, you misunderstand, I did agree to let her stay here, but she hasn't come home yet." He clarified. "I guess she must be off with Emma somewhere. Time must just have gotten away from them."

"Well, can I at least wait?" She asked him. Mr Goodall just sighed and shook his head.

"I'm sorry, but I don't think that's a good idea." He told her. "I'm not taking sides, it's just...I want her to feel like she's safe here. I don't want her to feel like I've ambushed her."

"I suppose that makes sense." She replied in a disappointed tone. "Will you at least call when she gets in to let me know she's safe?"

"I will." He answered. "Would you like me to give you a lift home?"

"No, that's fine; I can make my own way." She insisted. "Thank you for your time."

Back in the forest, Emma was stuck down by Creepox, hitting the ground and de-morphing. She started to crawl away, only to feel the massive creature standing on her right ankle, stopping her from leaving. He kicked her over, so she could look up at him.

"Well, how do you feel about bullies now?" He asked. "Are we still not worth worrying about?"

"Let me go!" She demanded, struggling to get away as Creepox held her in place. He leaned down closer.

"One down," he stated, raising an arm, "four to go!"

Emma closed her eyes and tried to cover up as he brought his arm down. Everything went black.


	3. Creepox's Deadly Blow

"Hey, she's moving." A slightly distorted, tinny voice said. "I think she's coming around."

Some light started to creep in, enough for her to see some shapes standing over her, looking down. Emma blinked a couple of times, trying to regain focus. Her vision was blurred, and the shapes seemed to move slightly as they overlooked her, exchanging words in a distorted tone. She started to get enough focus to see some colour, and saw that two of them were human, with normal skin-tones, the third was metallic. She figured it was probably Tensou. One of his duties as Gosei's "hands", was to administer first-aid, and keep the team healthy. One of the shapes leaned over closer, allowing her to see in more detail. It was only now she could tell it was Troy. He held up a hand.

"How many fingers do you see?" He asked her.

"Four." She replied weakly. He just sighed.

"Two." He corrected her. He looked to Tensou.

"I've scanned her head, she's not got a concussion, and her visual cortex isn't damaged. Her vision should return to normal in time." He told them.

Emma struggled to sit up, only for Troy to try and stop her.

"Don't try to move." He said to her softly. "Tensou's still checking you for injuries."

"He shouldn't have to look too hard." Emma replied, settling at Troy's touch. She hated feeling vulnerable. A part of her hobby of riding her BMX was the occasional spill, so it wasn't like she hadn't been hurt before, but this was pretty bad. She wanted to get up, to just get on with things, but feeling his soft, surprisingly gentle touch on her arm, she settled, and started to lie back down. She felt something slide into her arm.

"I can't see anything broken." Tensou informed her. That was a relief; she'd once spent six weeks in a cast when she broke her wrist. By comparison to X-rays, Tensou's scans were much more precise, like comparing a microscope to a magnifying glass. If he insisted her injuries were minor, then they were. Of course, given how much everything ached, Emma was starting to think his definition of 'minor' might be a little broad. "She should be fine after some rest, but I'd advise against pushing it too hard for a couple of days."

"Somehow I don't think that'll be an option." Troy concluded, turning back to Emma, taking her hand gently in his. "What happened?"

"We got an alert from the woods, by the time we got there, we found you like this." Noah informed her.

"What happened?" Troy asked her again. Emma just looked up to him.

"It was that guy, Creepox." She told them. "The one you fought before. He came after me, but Eugene was there. I couldn't risk morphing..."

"Forget that, if Creepox is standing over you, you morph!" Noah called back. "That guy could have ripped you apart! We could have dealt with Eugene later!"

"I hate to say it Emma, but he's right." Troy added, looking to her. He hated to see anyone suffer like this, least of all one of his friends. Looking down to her battered face, which had an evil looking wound covering most of the left side, he squeezed her hand. "We need to keep our identities secret if we can, that's the safest for all concerned, but Creepox is way too dangerous. We could have worried about what to do about Eugene later; we don't want to have to find a new Ranger. I'm starting to like this team."

Emma smiled a little, hearing him say that. Troy looked to her as she pulled in closer.

"He said it's you he's after." Emma informed him. "He said he's warming up. Before...well...before I passed out, he said...one down, four to go."

"So, he's going to be hunting us?" Noah stammered. "Wow, I guess for once Jake should be glad he's grounded. It's not like Creepox is likely to break into his home."

"Um...guys?" Emma asked, looking around. It was only now that her vision was clear enough for her to see the whole room clearly. It was then that she noticed something troubling. "Where's Gia?"

Noah and Troy looked at each other a little nervously. It was a valid question. Noah had been at the command centre with Tensou when the alarm sounded. Troy had been training at a local gym. Jake, he wasn't there because being grounded; he had been assured that he would be called if he was really needed. His team didn't want his one remaining week under house arrest to turn into anything longer unless there was no other option. He would be called if he was needed in battle, but when they knew that Emma was alive, and Tensou could tend to his injuries, there was nothing that Jake could do, so it seemed nonsensical to risk him being punished further. That didn't explain why Gia wasn't there. Emma fully expected Gia's to be the first face she saw.

"We...we don't know." Troy informed her. "Jake's at his place, but we couldn't raise Gia when we called her."

"We have to find..."

"We've already looked." Noah told her, holding up Gia's bags. Emma looked on, terrified for her friend as Noah pulled out her morpher. "We found these."

"Gia!" Emma gasped, lying back down. Troy looked to her sadly.

"We'll find her." Troy promised her. "We'll find her and we'll make Creepox pay, I promise you that much."

"She should be fine to be moved now." Tensou told them. "It's probably best you take her home."

"Oh great, what am I meant to tell dad?" Emma asked, noting her appearance. "He's going to freak when I turn up looking like this!"

"Well, that's something we've already thought about." Noah said, beginning to rub the back of his neck nervously. "We figured you'd need a reason why you were so banged up, and why you're so late...and most importantly why Troy's taking you home."

"Alright?" Emma asked, beginning to wonder why Noah was acting so nervously.

"Well, we found your bike still at the school, so we figured you intended to go back for it once you took Eugene home." Noah told her. He pulled out her helmet, which was cracked, and badly scuffed, with some dirt smeared across it for good measure.

"I crashed?" She asked.

"Well, we figured it had to be pretty serious to delay you like this so..." He then stepped aside. Emma sat bolt upright as she saw her BMX, or at least, what was left of it! It looked like someone had taken a sledgehammer to the front forks and wheel, leaving them completely buckled and bent beyond recognition. She looked up to Noah.

"You totalled my bike?" She screamed, aggravating her headache. Noah just backed off, pointing to Troy.

"He took the sledgehammer to it, it was his idea!" Noah protested in terror, seeing how angry she was. He knew how much Emma loved riding, but the fact was it was the best thing they could think of at short notice. Emma just looked at Troy, before breathing a sigh. It was a sacrifice she just had to accept. She knew her dad would freak no matter what the cause of her injuries, but at least this version didn't involve an eight foot cockroach attacking her.

"Alright, what's the story?" Emma asked him. Troy looked into her eyes.

"You were riding along the side of the road, when a truck passed too close and drove you off the road." He told her. "You hit a rock and got flipped. I found you when I was coming back from the gym."

"Right, I've got it." Emma answered. She looked to Tensou, since she knew that Noah would need to go home too. "If you find anything out..."

"I'll contact you all immediately." Tensou interrupted them. "It'll take longer to scan for her life signature than the signal from her morpher, but I will find her."

"Then all that's left is for us to go home." Troy told them. "Noah, teleport to the end of your street, we'll teleport to the end of Emma's, then I'll teleport home. From now until we sort this out, no one goes anywhere alone, got it?"

"Like I'll have a choice." Emma grumbled as Troy helped her off the bed. "OK Tensou, we're ready."

Over at the Goodall house, Mr Goodall was starting to pace the Living Room intently. Although he rarely worried about his daughter, thinking of her as a responsible and reliable girl, Mrs Moran's visit had gotten him thinking. Both Emma and Gia were still not home, and it was now well after dark. He had called Ernie's, and Ernie had confirmed what Mrs Moran had said, that she had left the Brainfreeze quite some time ago. What worried him more than that was that he had told him that Gia had left alone.

Both girls he was responsible for, both of the girls under his care were now in the city, God only knows where, and as far as he knew, they were both alone. He was starting to panic, feeling sick to his stomach imagining all of the horrible things that could have happened to them. It was not a place in his mind he wanted to be. His heart stopped as he heard a knock on the door. He ran to the door, opening it up to find Troy outside, supporting Emma with one arm, while dragging what was left of her bike with his other hand. He quickly took Emma from him, bringing them indoors.

"Emma, what...what happened to you?" He asked her.

"I was coming along the road. Some truck driver drove me off the road." She said, recalling the story Troy had made up. She hated lying to her dad. They had been very close, especially since her mother had died. It felt horrible not to be able to tell him the truth, but then she wasn't sure that would be much better. It was bad enough that he had checked his savings to see if moving was an option once the Warstar aliens started showing up, only to find that he really didn't have the money. If he knew she was actively fighting them, he was sure he'd happily bankrupt himself to move them as far as humanly possible from the warzone. "I didn't see a rock there and hit it. I was flipped."

"I was coming home from the gym." Troy told him. "I found Emma dragging her bike. It looked like she could use some help, so I made sure she got home."

"Thank you, um...?"

"Troy." The Red Ranger introduced himself, shaking Mr Goodall's hand. "Emma's been really good to me since I got into town."

"She's like that." He replied, helping Emma to the couch, and looking for a blanket, draping it over her. "Bloody truck drivers, they think because they're bigger they have a right to drive how they please! He could have killed you! Did you see...?"

"I was a little busy acquainting my face with the ground." Emma groaned as her dad continued to fuss over her. "I couldn't tell you who the truck belonged to."

"Do you have a first aid kit?" Troy asked him. Tensou had taken care not to treat or clean her wounds. It would look a little suspicious if she turned up already treated. "I do Martial Arts; I've done some First Aid..."

"Believe me; with this one I practically have a medical degree." Mr Goodall replied, fetching out a first-aid kit about the size of a large suitcase. "She loves that BMX, but I swear she's going to give me a heart attack one day."

"Well, I should be going." Troy told them. "I'm kind of late, and my parents will be worried..."

"Troy, thanks for what you've done." Mr Goodall told him. "Would you like a lift home? I could explain to your parents why you're late."

"I'll be fine. They worry, but they know I wouldn't be late without a reason." Troy assured him. "I'll just say goodbye to Gia..."

"That's...something else." Mr Goodall said as he tried to find a way to bring the subject up. This was another lie, another thing that Emma had to hate. Although they already knew that Gia had disappeared, they had to pretend that it was news to them. As far as anyone knew, she had left the Brainfreeze by herself, and no one had seen her since then. "She...she never arrived here."

"Wait what?" Emma shrieked, trying to get up. "We have to go, we have to find..."

"You're not doing anything other than getting cleaned up and going to bed." He warned his daughter sternly. "I don't know how much good it'll do, but I'll call the police and give them her description. Maybe they can keep an eye out for her."

"There are pictures of us in my room that I only took a week or so ago." Emma told him, remembering the day they found the Magnus Bloomus Annulus. "They should help."

"Good thinking Emma." He responded, heading to her room. Emma just settled back into the couch, covering her eyes.

"I hate this." She muttered. "I've told some white lies in my time, but I've never had to lie to dad like this."

"It's for his own good." Troy reminded her. "You know the danger we're in, if he got dragged into this..."

"You don't get it Troy; I've never been the most popular girl. It kind of comes with being the weird kid who plays around with bugs all day." She explained. "For years, there were only two people that really mattered to me, that I trusted with everything, Gia and my dad. Now, in the last month, I've fallen out with Gia, and I've had to lie to my dad."

"Emma, this is difficult, it's hard for all of us." Troy said, putting his hand on her shoulder comfortingly. She felt a warm rush as he did, and had to smile a little. She looked up to him. "All we can do is try and keep the people we care about as safe as possible."

"I know, it's just...I don't have to like it." Emma reiterated. Troy stayed until Mr Goodall returned with the pictures.

"Alright, I've got the pictures." He told his daughter. "Are you sure you don't want me to take you home? I don't want another..."

"I'll be fine." Troy assured him. He had already decided he was going to get Tensou to teleport him once he was out of sight. Like the others, the last thing he wanted was to be on the streets alone for any length of time and give Creepox any opportunities. "I'll stick to well-lit streets. I only live a couple of blocks from here anyway."

"As long as you're sure." Mr Goodall replied. Troy just nodded and headed for the door.

"I'll call in tomorrow." Troy told Emma. "Try to get some rest."

"I'll try." Emma answered. She hated the fact that she had to stay here. She wanted to be out looking for Gia, to find her friend and know that she was safe. Right now though, she had no choice but to put up with the charade, and hope that whatever Creepox had done to her, that she was safe. He had already told her it was Troy he wanted, and he hadn't killed her when he had her dead to rights. She could only hope that was the case with Gia too.


	4. The Power of Bullies

Noah ate his breakfast in front of the television, watching Nickelodeon as he usually did on the weekends, but there was not the usual laughter as he watched the latest episode of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

He was worried, like the others, about what was happening. Apparently Creepox had taken it upon himself to launch into a campaign of terror against the Rangers. He was taking the fight to them, hunting them down one at a time. So far, they had confirmed that he had attacked Emma. He hadn't received any messages from the others yet, but as far as he knew, Gia was still missing. That meant there were only three of them left.

For once, he was glad Jake was grounded. While he had no doubt Creepox would risk an attack on his house eventually, he was unlikely to do something so visible, that would attract so much attention unless he was confident the odds would remain in his favour and others wouldn't interfere. That also created its own problem, since Emma had told them what Creepox had said. He was after Troy, but he was taking out the others before he got to him. If he couldn't get to Jake, and presuming he noticed that Jake wasn't coming to any of the battles, that didn't leave a whole lot of targets for him to focus on. It didn't take his genius brain to figure out that logically, there was a good chance he was next on Creepox's hit list.

"Oh, come on, can they not see where this is going?" He yelled at the screen. "It's so obvious Karai isn't Shredder's daughter, she's..."

He was interrupted as his morpher bleeped. He looked around, satisfying himself that he was on his own. His parents were still in bed. His dad worked in a factory manufacturing car parts, while his mom worked in a call centre. They didn't really get him, or his interests. They worked long hours all week, and enjoyed the luxury of a long lie on the weekends. He knew they were proud of him and his grades, but they just didn't seem to understand the things he was into. It did offer him the opportunity to privacy though, since every Saturday and Sunday, the house was pretty much his until noon. He picked up his morpher and answered it.

"Noah here." He stated.

"Noah, its Troy." Troy told him. "Are you free to talk?"

"For about another two hours or so." He replied, checking his watch and realising it was still some time until his parents woke up. "Is there any news?"

"Emma checked in, she's sore but she'll be fine." Troy answered. "Jake's fine, but he's feeling pretty bad about the fact he was stuck at home and couldn't help."

"And Gia?" Noah asked him.

"There's still no news." Troy said sadly. "Tensou's scanning the area, trying to find her life signatures, but since she dropped her morpher and her cell phone, it's harder to trace her."

"I'll get to the Command Centre." Noah suggested. "I was meant to go and work with Tensou anyway, maybe I can help."

"Noah, you know that's too risky." Troy reminded him. "You can't exactly teleport out of your Living Room."

"I'll go from the end of the street." Noah insisted.

"Noah, we can't take any chances, we have to stick together on this!" Troy insisted. "Don't go anywhere, I'll come to you."

"But..."

"That's not negotiable." Troy told him bluntly. "I'll come to you, just sit tight until I get there. I'll be there in a minute."

Noah just sighed and cut off the call. He knew that Troy didn't mean anything by it, but he could understand his point in this. He was easily the weakest fighter on the team. While he didn't doubt that he offered a lot to the others, and to the efforts against the Warstar fleet, it was hard to deny that of all of them he was the weakest fighter. Jake had been in a few brawls, something Dean could easily attest to. Emma knew what she was doing, while Gia and Troy...both of them had pretty extensive Martial Arts experience, Troy especially. It was little wonder Troy was worried. If Creepox could take down Gia and Emma, then what chance did he have?

A little while later, he heard his morpher bleeping and looked out the window. Troy was standing there, gesturing to the door. He didn't want to risk rousing too much attention, something Noah was a little grateful for. He quickly wrote a note, explaining to his parents he had gone to a friends' place to study, and went out the door, locking it behind him.

"Alright, we'll head up to the woods, we shouldn't be seen there." Troy instructed him, looking around for any signs of trouble. Noah just nodded in response, following him. Troy took him down the road, reacting to virtually any movement at all. Noah had to admit being paranoid too, but Troy was taking this very personally. By the looks of him, it seemed like he had hardly slept. It wasn't hard to imagine why, he knew that Creepox was after him. It was only natural for him to feel like it was his fault Creepox was taking his friends out to get to him.

As they got to the woods, Troy checked around for any sign of others, before pulling out his morpher. As they were about to teleport though, he heard something coming through the undergrowth, something big.

"Well, I see you're now too scared to travel alone." Creepox said as he came into view. He stared straight at Troy. "That is just...delicious!"

"You'll get no such satisfaction from us!" Troy called out. "Now what have you done to Gia?"

"I think I will." Creepox replied, approaching menacingly. "You reek of fear; I can smell it from all of the way over here."

"It doesn't look like he's going to answer our questions." Noah commented.

"Then we have no choice but to make him!" Troy shouted, preparing his Power Card.

"Go Go Megaforce!" They both called out as they morphed, preparing for battle. Creepox roared loudly as he ran into battle.

Back at the Goodall place, Emma came down the stairs gingerly. She wasn't badly hurt, it was mostly cuts and bruises, but it was still very uncomfortable. She had hardly slept the whole night, even despite the painkiller her dad had given her. All she could think about was the fact that they still had no idea where Gia was.

She came down, finding her dad pacing the room, looking a little dishevelled and exhausted. He looked like he had been up all night.

She hated seeing him this way; she could tell he was going out of his mind. While Gia wasn't his daughter, he took the fact he had agreed to let her stay with him very seriously, and was just as worried as if it was Emma who had disappeared without a trace. She could remember him being on the phone when she went to bed, and he was on the phone now. If she was to hazard a guess, she would wager he had been on the phone all night.

He had a lot more means at his disposal than others. Mr Goodall had been working in private sector security for many years. It was, in fact, how he had met Emma's mother. He had been working security at a power plant she had been picketing for polluting a local lake. He had fallen for her as she was taken away in handcuffs, a precaution made necessary by the hard knee in the groin she had given him when the protesters got a little too rowdy and the peaceful protest broke down into a riot. Emma had to appreciate the irony that the relationship that ended up with her being born was itself born out of the fact her nearly stopped her dad being able to have kids.

The one benefit was that due to the nature of his job, Mr Goodall had a lot of friends in very useful places. He knew a number of people working security in numerous places all around the city. He had a number of friends within the police department that he could call in favours from too. The fact was, while other people would have to wait a nerve-wracking 24 hours before someone could be declared missing, Mr Goodall had already had quite a few people on the search.

It was both comforting, and at the same time made Emma feel incredibly guilty. She doubted that any of his contacts would find anything. She already knew that Creepox was to blame. Her father's friends would likely be looking for signs of her trying to leave town, or some sign of someone talking to her. It wasn't like they were likely to think an eight foot cockroach had attacked her.

"Right, just...keep me posted alright?" Mr Goodall sighed. "Thanks James."

As he hung up, he turned and saw Emma standing there.

"Emma, what are you doing up?" He asked her.

"Dad...it's nearly 10 AM." She pointed out. He just looked to his watch and realised she was right. He had been so busy calling up all the contacts he could think of that might have seen Gia, or have access to security tapes that might have caught her, that he had lost track of time completely. He had indeed been up the whole night.

He felt the crushing weight of guilt pressing down on him. He had known Gia since she was in Kindergarten, and when he heard she was having trouble at home, even once Emma explained the exact nature of the problem; he had agreed to take her in. However, he had taken the responsibility to heart. He blamed himself for the fact that she seemed to have disappeared when she was taking her stuff from Ernie's to their place. He wished he had just skipped that meeting at his firm. He wished he had gone with her to bring her home. Gia had been like a sister to Emma for most of her life, and he couldn't help going out of his mind, just like if it was Emma who had gone missing.

"I'll get you some breakfast." Emma stated, showing him to the couch. He was exhausted, but showed no sign of letting up on the search just yet. "You need to rest..."

"Just...put on some strong coffee." He muttered, placing the phone down. "I've got everyone I know looking for her. I need to be nearby in case the phone rings."

"Well, at least let me fix you some breakfast." Emma told him, noting the half-empty bag of chips on the table. "You can't get by on junk food."

"You're beginning to sound like your mom." He stated.

"Mom was right." Emma replied. "I'll make you some toast alright?"

"As long as there's some bacon with it." He called after her. Emma just nodded and went to prepare his breakfast. She hated the lies, she hated having to keep quiet when she was already sure her father's search was pointless, but the least she could do was make him comfortable while he did everything he could to help. She felt sick to her stomach as she switched on the cooker. She had always wanted to save the planet, but now she was starting to wonder what the cost, the TRUE cost would be.

Back at the site of the battle, Troy was hit with a hard shot, and sent spinning through the bushes. Noah saw Creepox powering up a huge blast. He had seen Creepox's power before, and knew that alone, he didn't have a chance.

He got up and ran for Creepox, firing his Shark Bowgun at him, but the blasts rebounded off his carapace, only a couple doing any damage at all. Given his reaction though, it seemed like he had only succeeded in enraging Creepox with his attack.

Creepox swept the Bowgun out of Noah's hand, before snatching him up into a tight bear-hug. Noah felt the air being squeezed out of him by Creepox's powerful grip. He heard some worrying cracks as the monster increased the pressure.

"Well, it looks like we're going to be losing another Ranger." He said with a sick satisfaction. "I always said Vrak was wasting his time with all those schemes. The strong crush the weak! That's the way it always has been, and the way it always will be!"

"It depends on your definition of strong!" Troy roared, scything him down from behind with his Dragon Sword. Creepox got back to his feet, rounding on Troy. "I don't know what your problem is..."

"My problem is you!" Creepox snarled. "It's this...this...INSULT!"

He gestured to the massive scar on his chest. Troy could only vaguely remember their first battle. He could remember that he was still unfamiliar with his new powers and weaponry, that it was the hardest battle he had ever faced. He could remember spilling blood with a desperate swipe with everything he had behind it. He remembered that being what made the difference between his first battle being hard, and being his last.

"What?" He asked.

"You challenged my invincibility! You scarred my perfection! You are the one that has left a blemish on the unprecedented reputation I have built up for years!" He snarled. "For that, you will pay with your life! Your last thought will be knowing that once you are gone, I will ensure that every one of your friends will follow in agony!"

"You call yourself strong? You're pathetic!" Troy snapped. "If you get into a fight, you know that injury is a possibility. You're angry because of a scar?"

"I will NEVER..."

"You're the one who's weak Creepox, you make yourself feel powerful by making others feel weak, but you can't handle it when someone stands up to you and gives as good as they get!" Troy interrupted him. He saw Noah on the ground, clutching his ribs as he de-morphed. He doubted he was in any condition to fight further. He now knew what he had to do. Emma, Gia, Noah...Creepox had gone through all of them to get to him. Now was the time to make his stand. He adopted a fighting stance, levelling his Dragon Sword his way. "Don't dish it out if you can't take it!"

Creepox rushed towards him, but instead of backing down, Troy just stood his ground. Noah saw as he side-stepped, bringing his sword upwards across his chest in a shower of sparks, causing Creepox to cry out in pain.

"Troy NO!" Noah screamed as Troy moved round behind him, holding the sword around Creepox's throat. He activated his morpher, teleporting both of them away, hoping to keep Noah safe. Noah got up, fighting for breath as he cradled his ribs. He collected his morpher.

"Gosei, where did they go?" He asked.

"They are in the quarry half a mile east of your location." Gosei told him.

"Gosei, we have to stop him!" Noah said as he started to run as fast as he could in his injured state.

"Creepox must be..."

"Right now, he's the only one who knows where Gia is!" Noah reminded him. "If Troy takes him out before we find out what he did, she's gone for good!"

At the quarry, the battle got a lot more intense. Troy had faced many strong fighters in tournaments all over the country, but this was by far the most intense fight of his life. It was so much more than just a fight for him, it was more than even a fight for the city, it was a fight for everyone he cared about.

Creepox had regained the upper hand somewhat, being able to get him off-balance. Eventually, as he tried to finish him off, Troy tripped him, sending him to the ground. He launched himself into the air, landing knees-first on his chest, and holding the Dragon Sword to his neck.

"Well, go ahead and to it human." Creepox taunted him. "If you have the courage!"

Troy twirled his sword around, and held it point-down in both hands. Creepox just laughed.

"Of course, if you do that, you'll never find out what happened to your friend." He reminded him. Troy hesitated as he thought about it. That was true; they had no idea where Gia was. If he destroyed Creepox before they found out, then it would be possible they would never find out. That moment of hesitation was all it took for Creepox to blast him backwards, sending him onto his back, his sword falling a little way from him. He de-morphed, and felt his body wracked with pain, but there was nothing he could do. He saw Creepox coming his way, and snatched up the sword, stopping his blades a short way from his face.

"You know what? You're right; I do like watching others suffer. That's why I want to give you the opportunity to cry for me!" Creepox snarled.

"Look in my eyes." Troy grunted, struggling under the near three hundred pounds pressing down towards him, driving blades towards his throat. The blades edged ever closer as his strength started to fail. "Do you see any tears?"

"Well, if you won't cry for me, then how about when you learn your mercy, the very weakness that led to your demise was all for nothing?" Creepox asked him. "Here's my little secret. I never touched the Yellow Ranger."

"What?" Troy asked him.

"I have no idea what happened to her, and frankly, I don't care either." He laughed as he continued to press down. "It's just satisfying to know that your last thought will be that your sacrifice was all for nothing!"

With that, Troy rolled to his left, causing Creepox's weight to fall to the side, away from him. He sprang to his feet, morphing as he did so and powered up his blade. Noah arrived at the top of the valley, just in time to watch Troy cut him down.

"NO!" Noah called out, morphing and jumping down into the quarry. He ran over to Troy as Creepox fell backwards, exploding on the ground. "Do you know what you've done?"

"Creepox didn't do anything to Gia!" Troy told him.

"How do you...?"

"He was a lot of things, but he wasn't a liar, especially when he thought he was winning." Troy told him. "He said he didn't do anything to Gia, and I believe him."

"Well, I guess the debate's going to have to wait." Noah stated, pointing to a flock of Zombats. "It looks like we're not done with Creepox yet!"

Back at her place, Emma got the alert from Gosei, telling her about the imminent threat in the quarry. She went to the top of the stairs to check on her dad, who was still in the Living Room, waiting for word on Gia. She heard the door, and pulled back as her dad answered it.

"Wayne?" He asked. "Have you heard anything?"

"Eric, I think there's something you really need to see." He told him. He pulled out his tablet, and pulled something up. Emma was thankful she rarely went anywhere without her camera. Pulling it into view, she used the zoom to see what they were looking at.

"It's footage from outside the minimart on fifth." Wayne told him. Emma watched the footage. "It looks like she stopped there to get some cash from the ATM."

Emma watched as a van pulled up nearby. As Gia was starting to make her way from the ATM, a couple of guys in masks came out of the side door, one of them aiming what looked like a gun at her. A second later, she fell to the ground and started twitching. A couple more masked men grabbed her and dragged her into the van. Emma couldn't believe what she was seeing.

"It looks like she isn't just missing." Wayne informed him. "It looks like she's been abducted."

Emma tuned out the rest. Her dad knew more about what to do in this situation than she did, but she had confirmed one thing. Creepox had nothing to do with Gia's disappearance. She wanted to stay and help her dad find her, but she knew that the priority was helping the others. As her dad left with Wayne, she waited until he was gone, then teleported to the cockpit of her Phoenix Zord.


	5. Gia's Release

Mr Goodall and his colleague Wayne arrived outside the mini mall Gia had gone past. He really wished she hadn't come by here, and not just because it had ended with someone snatching her off the street. There were a couple of blocks between the Brainfreeze and the Goodall place that really didn't have a great reputation. While he was sure Gia didn't really pay it much mind, having always been an independent and 'tough' girl, his job in security meant he was more than aware of certain things in the city that didn't really fit with the city government's efforts to make it seem like a wholesome and idyllic place for families. Across the street from the mini mall was a motel that rented rooms on an hourly rate. A short distance from that, there was a store which sold many things they didn't stock on the shelves for the public to see. Like any town, Harwood had its ugly areas.

He didn't know what he expected to find, in fact, he was sure very little would be left behind. Even her bags were gone, but in this neighbourhood, anything left unattended for any length of time was taken as fair game. Her possessions were all long gone, presumably to be searched for anything of value and disposed of callously. Wayne went into the store to see if anyone had seen what happened. It was a vain hope, since he was sure they would be more concerned with armed men capable of abducting a teenage girl coming back than they were of two men in suits.

Mr Goodall, Eric to his friends, decided to look around the area. From the security footage he had seen, as low-quality as it was, he had seen that the abductors had used a tazer. It had taken Gia down quickly, before she could respond, but it was also a weapon that wouldn't leave behind much in the way of evidence. They'd probably chosen that method so they wouldn't leave behind much in the way of a blood or other forensic evidence.

He finally noticed something sitting, caught just in a storm drain, and made his way over, kneeling down and pulling out a handkerchief to pick it up. He inspected it carefully and smiled. It was the safety guard to a tazer.

He remembered the footage, and remembered that the whole incident took place in a few seconds. As soon as the abductors got out of the van, one of them fired the tazer, while another couple picked her up and placed her into the van. The one thing they hadn't counted on...when initially purchased, before being used, a tazer had a plastic safety guard over the barrel to protect the electrodes. When fired, in some models, the cover would be ejected. Clearly the assailant hadn't thought to pick the guard up, and had instead just tried to kick it into the storm drain out of haste. He got up, and headed inside the store to where Wayne was talking to the clerk. He could see from his expression, and the fact that he had money in his hand, offering some to the clerk that he was faring about as well as he expected.

"So, did he see anything?" Eric asked his comrade. Wayne just shook his head.

"Sorry, it looks like he developed a case of amnesia, short-sightedness and selective deafness." Wayne sighed. "Not even the offer of a reward was enough to make him reconsider."

Eric just looked to the clerk and smiled.

"Do you have a family?" He asked. The man behind the counter just looked a little confused.

"No." He answered. Eric considered this information. He had hoped to appeal to the man, by making him consider how he would feel if Gia was one of his relatives. While she wasn't really related to him, Gia had been friends with Emma for so long, that occasionally he had seen as much of her as he had his own daughter. He had agreed without question to take her in when Emma told him that she needed somewhere to stay.

"So, how much would help out with that amnesia of yours?" He asked, pulling out a stack of bills. The clerk just shook his head.

"I'm sorry, I really can't help..."

"OK, so you can't be bribed either." Eric stated, sizing the man up and realising he was terrified. All things considered, he really couldn't be too surprised. "I guess I'll have to try another approach."

He drew in closer, gesturing to man to do the same.

"I have a lot of friends." He told him. "And no, I'm not threatening violence or anything. I somehow doubt that would scare you too much. I'm sure on this block; you already have someone you pay for protection."

"Sir, I must ask..."

"But I noticed your van out front. The plates are expired." He informed him. "Looking around, I'm sure it would be inconvenient if I called my friends in the Health Department and reminded them that this place looks like it's due for inspection."

"What?" The man gasped, pulling back from the desk.

"I could also have the Department of Business swing by to make sure all your paperwork is in order." He continued to press on. "I might even have immigration come by to speak to some of your employees, just to make sure they're all legit."

The man behind the desk just sighed and nodded in understanding. There was a certain amount of psychology involved in his line of work. He had a feeling that he would not be intimidated by physical threats, but the prospect of having the authorities clambering through all his business dealings...that would likely cost him a lot of his clientele. Even if he could bribe or otherwise convince them to let him continue trading, by the time the constant parade of officials left, he would have lost a fortune.

"I...I didn't see much." He told them nervously. "But the van, I have seen it before. It's usually parked up nearby."

"Now we're getting somewhere." Eric answered, getting out a notebook. "Now, let's see if you can't narrow down that address a little bit."

"Maybe if some of that money was still on offer..."

"I think we've passed that part of the negotiation." Wayne said, folding up his cash and putting it away. "And if I know my employer, he's starting to get a little impatient by now."

"Trust me, that's not something you want." Eric assured him. "Now, the address?"

Back at the site of the battle, Creepox and the Megazord were involved in one of the hardest slug-fests the Rangers could recall. He wasn't holding back now he was down to his second life. Emma struggled to hold onto the controls as he struck home with another shot.

"Wow, I never thought I'd see a bug I WANT to see getting squashed!" Emma complained.

"He's tough, I'll give him that much." Noah added as he pulled himself off the floor, back to his seat after being knocked out of his seat.

"Guys, we need to deal with this." Troy stated. "The sooner we deal with this guy, the sooner we can start looking for Gia."

"Well, what else do we have to throw at him?" Jake asked. "We've tried pretty much everything!"

"Gosei, if you have any more tricks waiting for us, now would be a good time." Troy stated as they tried and failed to connect with a sword strike, taking some more damage in response.

"Take this power card." Gosei told him, transferring another card to him. He looked at it, seeing the new formation.

"The Ultra Gosei Great Megazord?" Noah asked. "Does anyone else notice a theme with these names?"

"Whatever, in the absence of a better plan, I say we go for it." Troy declared, putting the card into his morpher. All of the Zords flew into view, smashing into Creepox, causing him to roar in pain. As they all connected up, Jake checked out the new power levels.

"Wow, Gosei's been holding out on us!" He remarked with a smile. "Creepox is in for it now!"

"So, how about it Creepox? Will you cry for us?" Troy taunted him. Creepox just stood up, preparing for the attack.

"Never!" He called out. "I cannot be defeated! I am the mightiest..."

"Well, at least you have the courage of your convictions." Troy interrupted him.

"Victory Charge!" The Rangers all chorused. He stood in the destructive path of their attack, struggling to stand against it. As he exploded, the Rangers stood, observing the scene before them.

"He's...he's gone." Emma commented. "He's really gone!"

"I for one am not sorry to see the back of him." Noah agreed. "Tensou, have you found any trace of Gia?"

"We've tracked down her life signs." Tensou confirmed. "I'm sending the details to your morphers."

"Guys, I'm sorry, but I can't go." Jake told them. "I've already been gone too long, if my parents find out I left the house..."

"We understand." Troy assured him. "Emma told us that she was taken by humans. It shouldn't need all of us to take care of this."

"We'll get her back safely." Emma promised him. "She'll be back at my place, resting in her own bed in no time."

"Thanks." He sighed, before teleporting out of the Megazord. The other Rangers left, leaving the zords to return home to base at their command. A little way off, Vrak watched them leave, chuckling to himself.

"Well, that might not have worked out how I hoped, but at least one good thing came out of it." He stated. "The Rangers have rid me of Creepox. They've done me a favour."

With that, he disappeared, heading back to the ship. There would be other battles, and more opportunities to take down the Rangers, but now with Creepox gone, his position with the Admiral was solidified.

In another part of town, Gia was starting to come around, but her senses were all incredibly distorted. Her hearing was tinny and every sound echoed making it difficult to focus. Her vision was blurry, and everything felt like it was spinning.

She still didn't know who had taken her or why. After her abduction, she had been brought into this room, and left there, only occasionally being visited by her captors to feed her, or give her an injection. They'd kept her drugged since she'd arrived.

The room itself was pretty non-descript. There was a radiator, to which a length of chain had been padlocked. The other end had been wrapped around her wrists, keeping them locked together in front of her body. There was a toilet within reach of the chain, and a mattress, but other than that, the room was bare.

As the door opened, she saw a man in black, wearing a mask coming in. He was holding another syringe. She shook her head weakly as he approached her.

"No, please, no more." She begged him, knowing by now that struggling was useless. Whatever they were shooting her full of kept her very weak, and even unrestrained, she would be no match for his strength. He held her tightly, pressing the syringe into her arm, and pressing the plunger. Her eyes rolled in her head as she felt the drug taking effect.

"I'm sorry to do this to you, but I don't have a choice." He told her, helping her to rest back against the wall, keeping her upright. His touch was surprisingly gentle as he did so.

"Please, I don't understand. What do you want with me?" She asked him. "Why are you doing this? What did I ever do to you?"

"You...you did nothing to me. I finally understand that." He told her, taking off his glove and gently stroking her hair. "I know this isn't your fault. I know you're just confused...sick."

"I don't...I don't understand." She mumbled weakly. The man pulled off his mask, looking to her.

"D...d...dad?" She stammered. "But...why?"

"I finally understand, I got it all wrong." He assured her. "When I first found out, when those men at the employment office made fun of me, laughed at me because of that journal, I was angry. I thought you'd done this to humiliate me, to punish me for being a failure."

"Dad, I..."

"Even your mother thinks I'm a failure. We've been fighting a lot ever since I lost my job. You have to have heard that, it's no wonder you thought I was worthless." He continued.

"Dad...I never thought that." Gia muttered, feeling sleepy. "Lots of people lost their jobs. You aren't the only one..."

"Sh...there's no need to try and justify what happened. I finally understand it." He told her. "After the last fight, I started to look around for something, anything that could help, to make us all a family again like we once were. I found something on the internet...something written by people just like us."

As she started to slump, he caressed her face, making her look at him. He smiled.

"What you're thinking, what you feel...it's an illness." He told her. "There are people out there that can help, that can make you better. Make you normal again. Like any illness, this can be cured with the right treatment."

"Cured?" Gia asked him. She finally realised what he meant. "You...you're doing this...dad, I'm gay, I'm not sick..."

"Yes you are, but I can make you better." He said with a desperate smile. "It's no wonder you're confused. The media, all those articles and things written all so people feel like this...this is normal. I understand why you want to believe it, but you don't see the damage it's causing."

"Dad...please..."

"No, listen, your mother...she said she couldn't forgive me for what I've done, that she was disgusted at me for turning you away, and now I see she's right. I shouldn't have thrown you out, not when you needed me the most." He informed her. "But if we do this, together, if we just get you better, then we can be a family again. Your mother will forgive me, I'll get you through your sickness, and in time you can forgive me for throwing you out. Everything will be fine."

"Dad...you kidnapped me." She reminded him wearily. "You're drugging me..."

"It's all part of the treatment." He assured her. "Believe me, I hate this even more than you do, but the others, the ones who say they can cure you assure me, they need to keep you medicated before they begin the conditioning. They're almost ready to..."

"To start brainwashing me." Gia interrupted him. He just shook his head.

"You'll understand some..."

Just then, the door came flying in, and one of his henchmen landed on the floor. Mr Moran got up, and turned to face the new arrivals. Mr Goodall and Wayne burst in, Mr Goodall training an automatic pistol on him. He screwed up his face as he saw Mr Moran.

"Gerald?" He asked.

"Eric!" He called out. "What are you doing here? You're going to ruin everything!"

"Are...are you serious?" Eric demanded. "Give me the keys Gerald; I'm taking Gia out of here!"

"If Emma was sick, wouldn't you try and help her? Even if she didn't realise you were helping her?" He demanded. "Just go and let these men..."

"Men?" Wayne asked incredulously. "That's an interesting way to describe a bunch of guys that kidnap a teenage girl and lock her up against her will!"

"They're trying to help!" Gerald protested. "This is tearing our family apart! I'm losing everything because of this! Please just..."

"Step back Gerald!" Eric warned him, levelling the pistol his way. Just then, the Rangers arrived.

"Um...what's going on here?" Emma asked, seeing the scene unfolding.

"This...man, and I use the word loosely, had these jokers kidnap his own daughter." Wayne explained to them.

"They agreed to help her!" Gerald protested. "She's sick; they can make her normal again!"

"You can't be serious!" Emma yelled. "You kidnapped your own daughter?"

"I did it to save my family!" Gerald insisted. Troy shook his head in disbelief.

"If you don't release her, we'll do it for you." Troy warned him.

"The keys!" Eric demanded. Gerald handed over the keys, which he used to unlock the chain around Gia's wrists. He helped her up, starting to carry her.

"It's alright Gia; I'll get you checked out at home." He assured her.

"Gia, I know I did the wrong thing, but please, we can..."

Eric pistol-whipped his former friend to the floor, having finally heard enough. He looked to him in disgust.

"That's your daughter." He said in a low hiss. "She's welcome to stay with me as long as she needs."

"But she..."

"I'd suggest you just keep that thought to yourself." Eric warned him. "You're lucky the Rangers are here, but I promise you this much. If I see you or anyone in a mask come near my family, then you can forget about the cops."

He levelled the pistol and fired a couple of shots, causing Emma to flinch in horror. The bullets rebounded off the floor a little way from Gerald's legs.

"I won't hesitate to blow their damned head off, and I don't care who's under the mask!" He warned him. With that, he put his gun away and picked Gia up, carrying her from the room, with Wayne a little way behind him. Troy, Noah and Emma all watched them go in shock.

"Wow...your...your dad is pretty...wow." Troy stammered.

"I've...I've never seen him like that." Emma gasped. Troy put his arm around her.

"Come on, we're done here." Troy answered. "We should probably get back. I think you'll be more help to Gia at home."


	6. What in the World is True

Back at the Goodall house, Emma arrived a little before her dad. She had rushed home, just to make sure she was there when her dad got home, so that he didn't have anything else to worry about. She could tell him she had been there the whole time. The others had offered to come around, to claim they had just dropped by, but she had insisted that she didn't need any questions to answer. For now, they had to act like it was just a normal night, and they had all been doing normal things at home. With one of their number being abducted, the other parents were naturally cautious with their kids.

By the time her dad had gotten home, she had only just had time to prepare herself for the acting job of her life. She had to convince him she had been there the whole time, just as he'd asked her to be. She had to convince him that when he brought Gia home, that she didn't already know that he had found her and that he was bringing her home safely. Last of all, she had to convince him that she hadn't been there, that she didn't actually know that it had been Mr Moran, a man that Emma had met many times over the years she had been friends with Gia. Finally, that she hadn't seen her own father, the man who had barely ever raised his voice to her in her life; threaten the lives of her captors, including Mr Moran, a man that he had been friends with for years.

She had poured herself some tea, but as she waited for her dad to come back, trying hard to calm herself down so that she wouldn't give herself away, her hands were shaking so much that almost as much of the tea ended up on the saucer as in her mouth. What she had seen, she couldn't get out of her mind. Her dad was...he was a dad. He was the guy that always told bad jokes, getting people to laugh more out of how pathetic they were than any genuine humour. He was the guy that always used to listen to her talk for hours about her latest environmental crusades with good humour and a smile on his face, even though he clearly wasn't as passionate about it as she was. He was the one who always constantly offered refreshments any time Gia would come to study with her, or just to talk.

He never talked much about his work, and truth be told, Emma never actually asked him about it much. She knew he was in private security, that he was a partner in his own firm. He sometimes had to take contracts for companies that Emma and her friends were protesting, something that they always mutually agreed to never let come between them whenever the situation arose that they were on opposite sides of a picket line. However, in all her life, she could never remember hearing her father raise his voice more than a couple of times at her. She had certainly never seen him raise a hand to anyone, although she presumed he had done so in the course of his work. What she had seen of him though was totally alien to her. When he turned his gun on a man he had known for years and fired, even though he intentionally missed, it was like looking at a whole different person. He wasn't the man that always made sure he had time for his daughter.

It was a moot point though. When he did bring Gia back, he was more concerned about her than asking his daughter where she had been. Gia was still out of it; clearly under the influence of whatever her abductors had been drugging her with, so much so she was barely conscious when she arrived. Eric had just taken her immediately to a room, telling Emma that a doctor would be coming to check on her. He hadn't left Gia's side until the doctor arrived to examine her. The next time she saw him was when he was escorting the doctor out.

"Dad?" Emma asked. Mr Goodall just looked to the doctor and gestured to the doctor.

"Tell her what you just told me." He instructed the doctor. He looked a little reluctant. "She and Gia are best friends, I'll just tell her when you leave anyway, but you can probably phrase it better. I think it's best to put her mind at rest, I don't want to risk her panicking any more because I don't explain things correctly."

"Your friend will be fine." The doctor assured her. "She's been steadily sedated for the last day or so. I have my suspicions, but by the time I figure out what so I can give her a suitable counteragent, frankly it'd be a waste of time. Sadly, the best thing to do is just wait and let it run its course naturally."

"She was drugged?" Emma asked him. "Why? Did they want to...?"

"They sedated her in small doses over an extended time, not enough to get her to sleep, just to reduce her awareness and faculties. I'd guess from what your dad told me that it was to make her suggestible, reduce her defences."

"Oh God, so they were going to..."

"It's not what you think sweetheart." Mr Goodall interrupted, thinking he knew what Emma was worried about. She'd heard all the lectures they gave young women about keeping themselves safe. When she heard Gia had been drugged, it was likely that she suspected one logical objective.

"I've never seen this, but I have heard of it." The doctor told her. "I understand your friend recently came out?"

"Well, more like she was forced out, but yes." Emma answered.

"Well, there are people that still believe that homosexuality is an illness, that it's something that can be cured." He informed her. "There are people out there that claim to be able to cure it. Their methods vary, some of them are a lot more refined than others, but they're all basically about trying to recondition the victim."

"I...I don't understand." Emma stammered.

"Keeping a person sedated, just to the point their mental faculties are reduced...it's been used before as the first stage in a process of brainwashing." He explained. "They keep a person sedated to the point they become suggestible and find it increasingly difficult to resist, then they start putting ideas in their head. In time, the victim becomes so disorientated and confused, that they start to accept the only truth they know, basically whatever they're told."

"That's...that's insane!" Emma snapped incredulously. "It's...it's not right! How do people get away with this?"

"Well, it's the first time I've heard of this being used on someone against their will outside of some oppressive regime, or espionage." The doctor sighed sadly. "For this purpose, sadly, so many people have a hard time dealing with things; they actually go to people like this and volunteer for the treatment."

"People actually go through this by choice?" Emma asked him. The doctor just nodded.

"Sadly, a lot of people find it so difficult to cope, that they would do anything for it all just to end. Some people find these...'experts', who offer a way out before they do something too desperate and believe that what they do can help them." The doctor replied. "It isn't right, but it happens. Maybe in time things will change, but for now, there are always people who will believe that anything different is wrong. Hell, even my own profession wasn't so enlightened. The AMA only removed homosexuality from its list of mental illnesses within the last forty years*."

"I guess we can hope things change." Emma muttered.

"I'd still prefer to take her to a hospital to get checked out properly." The doctor reiterated to Mr Goodall. Emma's father just shook his head.

"She'll be safe here." He assured the doctor. "I'd like her to rest peacefully. I think right now the last thing she needs to be surrounded by a bunch of unfamiliar faces."

"You may have a point." The doctor agreed. "You have my cell number Eric. If you need anything, call me any time, day or night."

"I will." Eric said as he showed him out. "Thank you Reed."

As he left, Mr Goodall turned back to Emma, who was still standing, trying to hold it together, to keep up the pretence. He approached her and put a hand on her shoulder, smiling at her.

"Gia's probably asleep by now." He told her. "I know you probably want to see her, but you can check on her in the morning. For now, just leave her be. You heard what the doctor said, she'll be fine."

"Dad...who...who did this to her?" Emma asked. She already knew the answer, but she had to pretend for now that she didn't. Eric just continued to look her in the eye.

"It doesn't matter, what matters is that Gia has been found and is safe." He insisted. "The authorities have been contacted, and we've passed everything we know onto them. I'm sure they'll be caught."

"Dad..."

"Have I ever let anything happen to you?" Eric asked her. Emma just shook her head. The look in his eyes was the same warm, comforting one he always had for her. He was back to being the man she knew, the one that always had time for her, and always supported her no matter what. How could this be the same man that only hours before she had witnessed threatening the life of someone he had been friends with for years? "I love you. You and Gia are the most precious things in the world to me. Nothing will ever harm either of you as long as I have anything to say about it. I promise you."

Emma just hugged her father, but her mind just wouldn't quit. Her best friend had been kidnapped, and was now lying unconscious in a bed; riding out the effects of God only knew what. She was forced to lie to her own father, who she had been devoted to since they had lost her mom so many times in the last couple of months, she was beginning to lose track of when she had last told him the truth, and as of a couple of hours ago, she was beginning to wonder how much she really knew about her father. In all, her world was descending into shadow, making her wonder if anything she knew was true anymore. He released her and smiled.

"Go to bed. I'll clean up the tea." He told her. "No doubt you'll want to tell your friends tomorrow that she's alright."

Emma just nodded and left without another word. The last thing she had the heart for was telling another lie. It was best to just say nothing.

The next day, Noah and Emma met up with Troy outside the Brainfreeze. They'd already agreed to meet up to talk about the events of the day before. Jake was still grounded, but had sent word to them that he had managed to get home without his parents realising that he was gone. Apparently they had been too busy watching football to check on him in his room. At least that was one less worry for them. He wasn't going to have his sentence increased; meaning he now only had a week left before he was free to do as he pleased.

"How is she?" Noah asked as Emma got there.

"She's resting, but the doctor says she's going to be fine." Emma relayed to her friends. "They said that she hadn't been harmed, they were just...they were going to try and brainwash her or something."

"Man, that's pretty messed up." Noah said in disbelief, shaking his head. "I can't believe her own dad did that."

"I don't know what's worse, what he did, or what's going to happen once Gia has to deal with all this." Troy stated, showing them a newspaper, with a headline about the incident on the cover. "Apparently the cops are out looking for them. He can't outrun them for long."

"Hey, are you OK?" Noah asked, seeing the look on Emma's face. "I mean, what we saw...it was pretty intense."

"STOP!" They heard someone call out. They all turned to see Calvin standing in the middle of the Brainfreeze. His friend Dirk was standing there too, gesturing to all the other customers to stay back. Eugene was there too, with the container that had held his click beetle broken in his hands. Troy tensed up.

"Seriously?" He asked. "You really want...?"

"Wait!" Noah said as he heard something. "Is that...?"

"There he is!" Calvin said, hearing the same clicking sound. It was a distinctive sound the beetle made to attract others of its kind. He dived under a table and reached out, taking it gently in his hands. Ernie came in from the back, carrying a Tupperware container.

"Here, you can use this to get him home." Ernie stated as Eugene put some of the foliage into the container, after which Calvin placed the beetle inside.

"Thanks Calvin." Eugene said with a smile on his face as he placed on the lid. "I was sure he'd be squashed."

"Wait, what gives?" Noah asked. Calvin and Dirk came over. It was then that they noticed Dirk's arm was in a sling. Emma was still limping slightly after Creepox's attack. Calvin just looked to them.

"Eugene was helping us with some biology homework." He informed them.

"You mean you're making him do your homework for you now?" Noah demanded.

"No, no, it's not like that, I really was helping them!" Eugene insisted, pointing to the table where they had a number of books set out. "I brought the beetle here to help, and...well...I accidentally knocked it off the table. Calvin helped get it back."

"Wait, you helped?" Troy asked. Emma then recalled what had happened in the woods. Dirk and Calvin had helped them get away from Creepox.

"You...you helped us get away from that big bug thing." She stated, gesturing to the two older boys. Calvin just looked a little sheepish.

"Yeah, we were following you. We were going to mess with Eugene some more once you left." He admitted. "But when that bug thing showed up, we were terrified, but Eugene...he went right after him and tried to help you."

"Yeah, not my brightest move." Eugene admitted, adjusting his heavily-taped glasses. "But I couldn't just let him hurt you without doing anything."

"It was pretty amazing, so we knew we had to help." Dirk told them. He gestured to his arm. "That guy, he was pretty scary. He made me feel pretty small and scared. He hurt me and he...he laughed. It felt really...it made me feel really lousy, and I..."

"We." Calvin corrected him. "We just realised that's what we've been making other kids feel like. When it happened to us, we hated it, so...we figured that we shouldn't do it to other kids."

"So, we made it up to Eugene." Calvin told them. "He even agreed to help us with biology."

"We're barely passing." Dirk admitted.

"Wow, so um...that's...great." Emma stammered, looking to Eugene. She saw the look on his face, trying to see if he was just being intimidated into saying what they wanted, since she was sure neither of them wanted another round with Troy. His smile though seemed to indicate that the whole thing was on the level. "That's really good of you Eugene. I'm sure they're grateful."

"Grateful enough to get me a smoothie." He added, showing them his drink. "Anyway, we've lost enough time guys, back to the books."

"So, what part of the insect is the abdomen again?" Dirk asked as he got back to the booth. Troy, Emma and Noah looked to each other as they made their way to a table.

"Can you believe that?" Noah asked as they sat down. "Calvin and Dirk being...nice?"

"I guess it puts it into perspective when you think about it." Troy stated. Emma just looked to him.

"What are you talking about?" She asked him. He just turned to them.

"Creepox was the toughest opponent we've ever faced." He reminded them. "But for all the destruction and trouble he caused, he ended up doing a good thing. He showed those two the error of their ways."

"I guess that's one way of looking at it." Noah agreed. "So, we just need to bully everyone into playing nice?"

"No, that never works. Bullying only works as long as the threat remains. You take away the threat, and people just go back to what they were doing before." Troy continued. "To change, to legitimately change, a person has to want it for the right reasons."

He looked over to their table and smiled.

"The way I see it, they show that there is hope the world can get better." He replied. "If they can change, why can't anyone else?"

"I guess it makes the whole thing seem a lot less hopeless." Noah agreed. "Anyway, I promised Tensou I'd stop by and do some more work. He has more he wants to show me."

"Have fun." Troy told him as he left. He looked to Emma, who seemed deeply troubled by the day's events. He moved a little closer.

"So, how are you anyway?" He asked.

"Sorry?" She asked.

"In all this, you must have felt a little lost in the shuffle." He surmised. "I mean, you were attacked by Creepox."

"Oh." Emma answered, realising he was right. Even she hadn't given much thought to her injuries in all of the chaos that followed. "Um...I'm a little sore."

"It's not just that." Troy asked her. "You've been through a lot in the last couple of days."

"It's just...nothing seems the same since all this started." She confessed to him. "A couple of months ago, saving the world seemed simple. It was just a case of disposing of our trash properly and not using so much gas or electricity, or paper...but now..."

"It's big, I get it." Troy agreed."

"I just feel like nothing I knew is the same, that what I thought was real is...well that it isn't." She continued. "My best friend has been in love with me for years and I didn't have a clue, her dad, a guy whose roof I've slept under is a complete whack job, my own dad apparently turns into Don freaking Corleone at work...!"

"Emma, we all have things that we hide." Troy told her, taking her hands. "Your dad, yeah that was intense. I have to admit that surprised me too, but the one thing that's still true is he clearly loves you. He obviously leaves all that stuff at the office for your benefit."

"But..."

"Mr Moran...from what I can understand, he's not had an easy time of it." Troy continued. "He lost his job, had to sell his home...I'm not saying its right, but he probably isn't in his right mind right now. He has to be feeling like the world's falling apart around him. You should try to remember the guy he was."

"But..."

"As for Gia, maybe, maybe you did kind of know. Even just a little bit?" He suggested. "Maybe you just let yourself be fooled because she means so much to you that you didn't want to risk hurting her by telling her that you don't share her feelings."

"The world seems so messed up right now." Emma sighed. "Do you really believe that things can be better?"

"It's all anyone can do." Troy told her. "The moment we stop believing that things can improve, the very instant you believe that things can't be changed for the better, you lose the will to fight. That's the only time it becomes hopeless."

With that, Emma reached in, hugging him tightly. Troy was uncomfortable, not really knowing how to react. While he was friends with the group, he wasn't especially close to them right now. He was never much of a hugger. He put his arms around her gently, holding her as Emma took the comfort she needed from him. All she needed was someone that knew what was going on, one person she didn't have to lie to. Right now, that was the best thing he could offer her.

**A/N: ***This little fact is, sadly true. I included it as a way of demonstrating how things do change for the better.


	7. A Fractured Family

Monday morning rolled around, and the Rangers had to make their way back to school. All, of course, except for Gia. Since he and the doctor still weren't exactly sure what she had been drugged with, and she still complained of feeling a little groggy and ill, they figured it was best that she spend another day at home to rest and see how she felt in the morning.

Jake was dropped off by his dad, just as he had been all the previous week. He only had to make it to the weekend without getting into any more trouble in order to satisfy his parents that he had learned his lesson, and he wouldn't use his fists to solve all his problems. The last time he had seen Dean, his face was healing, but it was still obvious he had been in a serious fight. It was nothing short of a miracle that the Hollings had convinced Dean's parents not to press charges or sue for assault. Although when he explained why he had done it, they accepted that his motives were admirable, it was still costly for his family by the time they had settled Dean's medical expenses, paying for all the treatments to the Stockwell's satisfaction.

"Alright dad, you got me to the door again." Jake sighed, looking around at the other students filing past him. It was a little humiliating having his dad frog-march him in the door every day, just another part of his punishment. Still, he wasn't overly concerned about himself. He hadn't had much contact with anyone since the Ranger battle, when he had fortunately managed to sneak out, and back without his parents noticing. He had contacted Noah, who had said Gia was alright, and told him the cops were now looking for the guys that took her. He had heard from the local news that they were looking in particular for Mr Moran in connection with the incident, which meant that obviously Mr Goodall had told them it was him. The whole situation was a mess, and Jake would feel a lot better when he could talk to Gia and hear from her how she was.

The only thing that gave him any comfort at all in the situation was thinking that he had inadvertently managed to secure his secret identity. After all, if anyone DID somehow come to the idea he was a Ranger, he had an iron-clad alibi. He had been in his room the whole time as far as his parents knew. He smiled a little, thinking that at least there was one benefit to being grounded after all.

He saw Noah and approached him, tapping him on the shoulder. He turned around, at which Jake saw his left hand bandaged.

"Creepox?" He asked. Noah just shook his head.

"Soldering iron." He replied, showing him his hand. "I wasn't paying attention to where I was putting my hand when I was looking for a screwdriver."

"Ouch." Jake hissed. "I guess your weekend with Tensou was good then?"

"Dude, you seriously have no idea." Noah said with a bright smile. "He was showing me stuff this school never could. I know I've been doing loads of stuff in my garage for years, checking out college-level books, but it's nothing like actually getting my hands on the stuff and actually doing it. I was building circuit boards the school would never even have in stock."

"Wow, sounds like a match made in heaven." Jake chuckled, hearing him talking so fondly about his time learning from Tensou. "I'm happy that you're happy."

"Anyway, I'm sure you don't really want to talk to me about circuit boards." Noah stated. He stepped a little closer. "I've not seen her yet, but when we were talking to Emma yesterday, she assured us that the doctor said Gia would be fine."

"Well, we both know that's only part of the story." Jake said sadly. "Gia has to be in pieces. Her own dad did this to her! There's a part of me that almost wishes Mr Goodall hadn't missed, but knowing the cops are looking for him...it's only a matter of time before he pays for all this."

"Yeah, because I'm sure Emma would have just loved seeing that." Noah replied sarcastically. As they headed for class, Jake just looked at him a little curiously. "She seemed pretty shaken up about all of this too."

"I'm not sure I follow." He said honestly.

"Think about it dude." Noah implored him. "She and Gia have known each other since kindergarten. They've stayed in each other's houses several times. In one day, she's found out that her best friend's dad is a homophobic nutcase, and watched her dad almost kill a guy he's known for years without even blinking!"

"Wow, um...when you put it like that." Jake stammered, thinking about Emma for the first time in the whole situation. "I mean, my dad can scream like the best of them when he's pissed, but the closest he's come to getting physical was one time a valet scratched his car, and he snatched his tip back. I...I can't imagine him ever doing something like that."

"It also puts your own actions into perspective a little doesn't it?" Noah asked him. "I mean, when you beat the hell out of Dean, maybe it made your parents wonder if you were different than they thought?"

"I guess that is a point." He replied as they got to Mr Burley's class. Emma was already there, at the front of the class as always, but the seat beside her was empty. Emma could tell already what they were thinking.

"She's not coming." Emma informed them. "She's resting up for another day. She might be in tomorrow."

"How about you?" Noah asked her. "How are you holding up?"

"Um..." Emma was a little surprised that he had asked that. With everything going on, there had been a lot of focus on Gia. It was only natural, she had been through a lot, but Emma was having difficulties too. While it was nice that Troy had taken notice of the fact she was struggling, she had just accepted that her problems were going to have to wait while Gia got back on her feet. She guessed that Troy must have said something to them to make them realise that they had been ignoring her. "Alright, I guess. I mean, I'll be better once Gia's back on her feet, but other than that, I guess I'll be alright."

As Troy came in, helping Mr Burley with some boxes, the rest of the class filed in, taking their seats.

"Alright class, take your seats please, we have a lot to get through today." Mr Burley began. "Calvin, Dirk, would you come a couple of rows closer please? There are a lot of visual aids to go through. Jordan, would you come here please?"

Jordan got up, and headed to the front of the class, to a few murmurs and taunts. He even had a couple of paper balls thrown at him. While Gia had taken the focus off him for a while, quite a few of the kids still gave him a hard time about lying about being the Red Ranger. While some of them had backed off, finding better things to do, he still caught the occasional remark or taunt.

"Hey, knock it off." Dirk called out.

"Yeah, leave him alone." Calvin added. "Who here can't say they haven't done things they regret to make friends when they move to a new town?"

"Alright settle down class." Mr Burley reiterated, bringing the lass to order. "Jordan, take these forms and give one to each student please. Class, these are permission slips for a field trip on Friday...Emma, would you be kind enough to take one home to Gia in case she feels up to joining us for then? Good girl...as you know, we've been covering the chemical properties of soil. Well, on Friday we'll be heading out to take some samples to bring back and analyse. I could of course simply present you with samples, but I wanted you all to get first-hand experience. That way, perhaps you can find out what in your own environment can have a pronounced effect on the local wildlife."

He went back to the chalk board as Jordan continued handing out permission slips. He stopped by Emma, giving her two. She could see him smiling.

"I guess you're looking forward to this?" She asked him. Jordan just nodded.

"Yeah, it's been ages since my last field trip." He told her. "My last school didn't really believe in them. The last one was to a museum when I was about 12..."

"Jordan, are you quite finished?" Mr Burley asked. Jordan handed back the forms. "Thank you. Now, the next thing I wanted to discuss was a new addition to the class, but he doesn't appear to be here yet."

"You're getting a TA?" Noah asked. Mr Burly just shook his head.

"Oh no, nothing that formal." He answered. "It's just a student from another school. We're taking part in a programme with a number of other schools. Some students will study in another city for a few months, while observing a few classes to see how teachers deal with students. It's part of a psychology module for extra credit."

Just then, the door opened. The class all looked around as a guy only around their age walked in, poking his head around the edge of the door.

"Um...Mr Burley?" He asked.

"Ah, you must be Mr Skullovitch." He answered, gesturing him in. "I was beginning to wonder where you were."

"I got a little lost." He admitted. "I walked into three other classes getting here."

"Well, I was just explaining about your programme. Class, this is Mr Skullovitch." He continued, gesturing to him. "Would you mind telling us a little about yourself?"

The class all looked to the new arrival. He was about the same height as Troy, and reasonably slender. He dressed a little like he had gone colour blind, and his dark hair was styled rather wildly for Harwood. He was quite pale, and looked a little nervous.

"Um...ok, hi." He replied as he looked to the class. "Um...ok, my name's Spike, and before anyone asks, no I'm not joking, that is what's on my birth certificate. I'm originally from Angel Grove, but I live in Panorama City now."

The other kids looked at him, considering him as he spoke. Spike looked around the class, picking out four of the students in his mind. He had been studying Martial Arts under Serena for a long time, before Lauren took over when Serena fell pregnant. Lauren had been in Harwood a couple of months previously to observe the new Ranger team and confirm their abilities. When she had heard that Spike would be spending a while in Harwood, she had told him who to look for, and asked him to keep an eye out, in case they seemed like they needed any assistance from the Samurai.

"I'm studying to try and get into the police academy, which is why I signed up for the Psychology extra credit module." He told them. "I want to become a negotiator like my mom used to be...and...I guess that's it."

"Thank you Mr Skullovitch, please take a seat." Mr Burley instructed him. "Alright class, since the field trip is so close, perhaps we should review the tests we'll be performing on the samples we bring back."

Back at the Goodall place, Eric had also opted to take a personal day. Being a partner in the firm, he could, within reason, dictate his own schedule. He naturally didn't want to leave Gia on her own, so he had shuffled the rota so he could stay home with her.

He was just re-heating some leftover chicken noodle soup for Gia when he heard the doorbell sound. He turned down the heat a little, and went to the door, opening it. Outside, he found Mrs Moran. He could see from her expression that she was upset. He stood, barring the door.

"Eric..."

"What do you want Lyndsay?" He sighed. "I'm a little busy here."

"I...um...I wanted to see Gia." She told him. Eric just looked at her with a stunned expression on his face.

"Really, and how exactly do you expect me to respond to that?" He asked in response.

"Eric, please..."

"After everything your husband did, while you sat back and did nothing and now you want to see her?" Eric demanded angrily. "You actually have the gall to turn up and expect to see her?"

"Eric..."

"She's been through hell, and I doubt that's going to change any time soon!" Eric informed her. "Here, she's safe. You on the other hand let her get thrown out on the street, and then kidnapped! If you think for one minute..."

"Do you think this is easy for me?" Lyndsay asked him. "Eric, what my husband did, I had nothing to do with, I assure you now please, just let me see her!"

"Mom?" Gia asked weakly from the top of the stairs. She was still woozy, and dressed in her pyjamas. She had a blanket wrapped around herself. She had heard raised voices and had come to see what was happening. Eric turned towards her.

"Gia, you should..."

"Gia, can I talk to you?" Lyndsay asked. Gia came down the stairs, heading towards them. Mr Goodall didn't like this at all, but he knew he didn't really have any right to intervene unless he thought Gia was in danger. Not wanting to have her talking on the doorstep in her pyjamas, he showed Lyndsay in against his wishes, closing the door behind her.

"Um...can you give us a minute?" Lyndsay asked. Eric just looked to Gia who nodded to indicate she would be alright. He just looked to Lyndsay.

"I'll just be in the kitchen dealing with lunch." He said, as much for Lyndsay's benefit as Gia's to remind them he was still there before he headed out of the room. Lyndsay went with Gia into the living room, sitting on the couch.

"So...um...how are you?" She asked nervously. It was the only thing that she could think to ask, but she already knew how lame it sounded. In the last couple of weeks, her daughter had been forcefully outed to the entire town, kicked out of her home, and kidnapped. Gia struggled to find something to say.

"I'm...good." Gia responded a little weakly, also not really knowing what to say. "Mom, what are you doing here?"

"Gia, I love you..."

"Mom..."

"Please I..."

"How the hell am I meant to believe that?" Gia demanded.

"Gia, whatever happened, I never wanted..."

"You let dad throw me out!" Gia yelled at her. "You didn't do anything to stop him as he threw my bags into the street! You didn't even try!"

"Gia, I left him that night!" She interjected. Gia paused as she heard this. "I took a bag, and all the money I had lying around and I walked out. I spent the rest of the night looking around town for you, before checking into a motel."

Gia was about to reply, but she remembered something from her kidnapping. Her dad had said something about losing his family. He had said something about wanting to get his family back. That must have been what he meant.

"You...you left?" Gia asked her. Lyndsay just nodded.

"I called a lawyer the next day to start divorce proceedings." She told her. Gia just slumped back in the couch.

"Great, another thing dad has to hate me for." She muttered. "He blames me for this, he said it himself."

"Gia, don't blame yourself, this is nothing to do with you." Lyndsay began, taking her daughter's hand. "You have to admit, things around the house...they haven't been right for a long time. You have to have noticed that we've been fighting a lot more often. When your dad found out, when he took it out on you and threw you out...that was just the last straw."

She squeezed her daughter's hand gently.

"I've never been good at standing up to your father, you know that." She said apologetically. "But the one thing that matters to me is you. When he turned you away, that was more than I could take. I love you, and...I want to make things right."

"You don't mind...you know...?"

"Well, to be honest, I kind of...suspected." She told her.

"You did?" Gia asked. "And you don't mind?"

"Gia, all that matters to me is that you're healthy and happy." Lyndsay told her daughter. "Even before your father...well...you know...I just wanted to find you. Gia...it's only a motel, but I really want you to come home with me."

"Mom I..." Gia started to say, looking to her mother sadly. "I'm sorry, but...I can't."

Lyndsay couldn't answer; she had to concentrate on holding back her tears. She always knew it was too much to hope for that Gia would just forgive her and go with her.

"It's alright, I understand." She whispered. "I know I've not done anything to deserve your forgiveness..."

"Mom, I...I want to forgive you." Gia told her. "I'm just...not there yet."

"I understand." She sighed regretfully. "I'm in the Highway Motel, room 18. If you ever feel like you want to come around, I'd love to see you."

With that, she got up and prepared to leave.

"Eric's a good man. There's a reason we were such good friends. I know he'll take care of you." She told her. "Maybe in time, he can forgive me too."

With that, she headed out of the door. Gia pulled the blanket around herself more tightly as Eric came in with her soup.

"Here." He said as he laid it down for her. "Would you like to talk about it?"

"Maybe later?" Gia offered. Eric just smiled.

"Whenever you're ready." He answered, leaving her to her lunch. Gia wanted to believe her mother. She wanted to forgive her, to have some semblance of her old family back, but she just couldn't get over the fact that at the time, when she needed her the most, she hadn't acted. It would be some time before she could be convinced that her mother was on her side. She just hoped that she wouldn't prove otherwise.


	8. Emma's Dad

The school day was drawing to a close, and the Rangers, all except for Gia, who was at home recovering from her ordeal, made their way out of their final class. They got into the hallway, and found Spike standing by some lockers, leaning against them, talking on his cell phone.

"Yeah, it seems nice here." He stated. "It's not as big as Panorama, but it seems like a friendly town."

He paused as he heard the voice on the other end.

"Look, I've been in town a couple of days and I've not even seen...well, I lived in Panorama for two years, it's not like it'd be the first time I've seen a monster!"

As they got closer, he just rolled his eyes.

"No, the other kids have been fine." He assured the person on the other line. "Yeah, it sucks, but it'll only be three months before I'm home."

He smiled a little as he heard the voice on the other end.

"Yeah, I love you too." He answered. "I'll talk to you later."

As he hung up and turned around, he saw the Rangers approaching. He quickly studied them, remembering what Lauren had told him from when she was in town. Although she had never confirmed it, by way of having one of them outright tell her they were Rangers or seeing them morph, she had strong suspicions about a certain group of kids she had seen. They all regularly wore clothing that matched their Ranger colours, something that amusingly, Spike's step-mother Kim STILL did, nearly twenty years after her tenure had ended, was something of a habit of Rangers that made many of them suspect that the Morphing Grid gave certain people a predilection towards certain colours. She had noticed that they seemed to have injuries consistent with the battle she had witnessed, but knowing teenagers and the fact that they were not only involved in active pastimes, combined with the fact he personally could attest to the fact they were not the most sensible of creatures meant injuries were not exactly uncommon.

Still, she had described the group in detail, and even shown him a picture she had taken with her Samuraizer. He noted four of them, by the looks of things, the ones she suspected to be Megaforce Red, Blue, Black and Pink. He smiled as he looked to them.

"Hey, there." He started awkwardly, putting his phone away. "Um...that was my girlfriend Vicky. She was just checking how my first day went."

"OK." Troy answered, not really sure what to say. Right now, they had other things to worry about. They all wanted to see Gia, to check up on her. They also had their own things to do. Jake knew it wouldn't be long before his dad came to pick him up from the school doors. "Um...Spike is it?"

"Yeah, my dad was a little bit of a punk when I was born. He seemed to think it was a good idea at the time." Spike replied, offering a handshake. "I don't mind, I've gotten used to it."

"Troy." He replied, gesturing to his friends in turn. "This is Jake, Noah and Emma."

"So...um...what do people do for fun around here?" Spike asked him. Troy just looked to the others.

"There's an ice-cream place in the mall called Ernie's Brainfreeze." Troy informed him dutifully. "Most of the kids go there."

"So...you're from Panorama?" Noah asked. "They had a Ranger team didn't they?"

Spike just smiled. He actually knew them. As a coincidental result of a Nighlock's spell, he had found out who the Samurai Rangers were. He had even been training with them for some time. His latest sensei was Lauren, the last Red Ranger. He had lived through many Nighlock attacks, and knew what it meant to be in a city with a Ranger issue.

"Yeah, they did. I even saw them in action a couple of times." He said, trying not to give too much away, or sound like he was boasting. He didn't want to alienate anyone here, least of all people he was observing to see if they needed help from an experienced Ranger team. "It was pretty scary at times. My mom only found out about the monster attacks here a few weeks back. If she'd known, she'd probably never have allowed me to apply for the module."

"You saw the Samurai Rangers?" Noah shrieked, bouncing a little excitedly. As the others looked at him, he realised how star-struck he sounded. He coughed and tried to compose himself. "That must have been...um...exciting."

"It was pretty cool. You know...aside from the fear of death and everything." He stated. Just then, Jake looked up. They all turned and saw Mr Hollings standing at the door, gesturing to Jake. He just sighed.

"There's the warden guys." He groaned. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"What's that about?" Spike asked.

"Jake was grounded." Noah informed him. "You remember that kid with a face like a punching bag? He did that."

"Well, it could be worse I guess." Spike replied with a shrug. "My sensei once got sued for assault."

"So, will you be in the Brainfreeze later?" Emma asked. Spike just shrugged.

"I guess I've got nothing better to do." He responded.

"Then I guess we'll probably see you there." Troy replied, heading off. As they left, Spike opened his phone and dialled.

"Lauren?" He asked. "Yeah, I've made first contact. I think you're right. I think we've got the right group."

A while later at the Goodall place, Emma arrived, dumping her bag on the floor. She looked over, seeing Gia watching some cartoons. She came across, sitting down with her.

"So...Watership Down?" Emma asked her. Gia just looked a little embarrassed and paused the DVD.

"I...I always liked it." She admitted. Emma just laughed.

"I've got to admit, if you watch it, you'll never look at rabbits the same way again. I know I didn't." She chuckled. "So, how are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling a bit better; I think I might be ready tomorrow." She told her.

"Really?" Emma asked her. "I mean, there's no rush. I can bring your work..."

"Seriously, I'm climbing the walls in here. If I stay indoors much longer, I'm seriously going to go crazy." She told her. Emma just smiled.

"Well, I guess at least we can go to school together." She answered. Gia just fell quiet for a moment.

"My mom came around earlier." She told her. Emma was now the one to grow quiet.

"Um...what did she have to say?" Emma asked, not wanting to fan any flames. She was incredibly angry, furious even with Gia's family. Her dad had kicked her out of the house, and then he had kidnapped her and attempted to brainwash her all because of his own prejudice. Her mom...Emma hadn't even heard from Mrs Moran since the whole situation had begun.

"She said she's divorcing dad." Gia informed her. "She said she wants me to come home. She said that him kicking me out was the last straw."

"Oh." Emma replied, not knowing exactly how to feel about the news. In some ways, she figured it was only natural that Mrs Moran didn't want anything to do with her husband after what he had done. Still, a part of her couldn't help feeling that it was all too little too late. The night her journal went viral, Gia had already become the subject of scorn all over town. The one place she should always have gotten support, the one place she should have felt safe was at home, and yet when she returned, she returned just to get yelled at and thrown out on the street. She couldn't help feeling anger and bitterness at Mrs Moran for not helping her daughter at the time. She couldn't help feeling like she had betrayed Gia by not standing with her there and then. "She wants you to go home?"

"Well, it's a cheap motel, but she wants me to go with her." Gia told her. "I said no."

Gia looked to Emma hopefully.

"Emma, I really want to believe her, I do, but...I just can't!" She implored her. "Does that make me a terrible person?"

"No." Emma assured her. "It makes you human. You were hurt terribly, and when you needed her, she wasn't there. It makes sense you're reluctant to trust her."

She hugged Gia tightly, comforting her. As they parted, Gia had to wipe away a couple of tears.

"I guess you won the jackpot on the parent front." She commented. "Your dad's been amazing."

"Yeah, that's one way of describing it." Emma commented, finding her mind straying back to what she had seen. She did love him, and she was grateful for how he had stepped up when Gia needed someone, but she couldn't get over the feeling that there was a whole side to him she didn't really know.

"He...he wouldn't let her in until I said I wanted to see her." Gia explained. "He found me and he brought me back. He's taken care of me. Your dad's pretty special."

"Yeah, I guess he is." Emma answered. "Anyway, watch the rest of your film. I have something I need to deal with."

As Gia hit the play button, starting up the film again, Emma went into the kitchen, where her father was cooking up some dinner. He wasn't much of a cook, and he often got home late meaning that it was normally up to Emma to do most of the cooking in the house. Still, being home for once, he was making an effort.

"Um...spaghetti bolognaise...just...a little different." He said as Emma looked at the scene of destruction in the kitchen. She just rolled her eyes and came over to the pot, where he was browning off the meat.

"I'll help." She told him. "How's the garlic bread?"

"Uh...in the freezer?" He offered weakly. Emma just groaned.

"Alright, so no garlic bread." She commented as she added the tomatoes to the meat, and vegetables that looked more like they'd been hacked up by a hatchet than cut with any form of care. Once she satisfied herself the dinner wasn't going to burn the house down, she turned down the heat to give herself more time. "Um...dad, can I talk to you about something?"

"What kind of question is that? Of course you can sweetheart." He said as he looked around for something to make a salad to make up for the lack of garlic bread. He noticed the look on his daughter's face and realised that it was something pretty serious. He just gestured her to the table.

"If it's about Gia..."

"Actually...it's about you." Emma began. "Dad, I've..."

This was the part she really hated. She couldn't explain how she knew, but she really needed to hear from him his explanation about the difference she had seen in him. She couldn't exactly tell him she was standing five feet away from him when he fired a loaded gun at her best friend's father. She took a deep breath as she prepared for yet another lie. She was beginning to resent the regularity with which she was building up the lies she was telling her dad.

"I...um...I talked to Gia. She told me a little about when you found her." Emma began. Eric just watched on as she tried to find the words. Hearing that Gia had told her about the rescue, he was starting to worry about what she might have heard. "She said you were...she said you...um...she said you shot at her dad."

Eric was scared this was coming. He had been riding on instinct when he was in that apartment. He was enraged by the fact a young girl that he considered one of his family was in danger, and as soon as he found out that the one putting her in danger was one of his best friends, it took all the restraint he had not to go berserk. He looked to his daughter.

"I love you too much to lie to you." He said, leaving it at that. Emma could tell from his reluctance that he was basically confirming it, without saying it out loud.

"Dad...I really need you to tell me...did you do it?" Emma asked him. He seemed morose as he realised he couldn't avoid it without outright lying to her.

"Yes, I did." He told her. "I shouldn't have done it, but I don't regret it, and I would do it again in a second."

He saw his daughter looking a little ill as he admitted this. He had never lied to her, but he had always tried to keep as much of the ugly side of his business from her. He had tried to keep as much of the ugly side of the world from her as he could. He loved how much Emma took after her mother, how she was so optimistic and hopeful that he didn't want her weighed down by the fact he had seen a lot of things that would make anyone question the point. He reached over.

"Emma..."

"Dad...you...you're not like that!" Emma protested. "You...you've never..."

"Never is a long time." He interrupted her. "Emma, you're seventeen now, and maybe it is a little late, but I guess it's time you knew that...there are certain things I've kept from you because...well...I wanted you to see me a certain way. I always wanted to be the dad you thought I was."

"Dad, what are you saying?" Emma asked him.

"I wasn't always in private security." He told her. "I got into that after I left the Marines."

"You...you were in...?"

"I served in a special unit in the Middle East during some pretty bad times there." He informed her. "I was assigned to a security team for dignitaries in the area. In that time, I saw some things I wouldn't wish anyone to see. I saw some of the very worst things people can do to each other, that's why when my tour was up, I went into security. I wanted to make sure people got home to their families."

"Dad..."

"What I did, I know was wrong. I can't justify it as self-defence; I can't justify it in any way. All I can say is that all I saw was someone hurting someone I care about, and I couldn't let that go." He told her.

"Dad...you've never been like this..."

"I've always had that side of me, but I only use it when I feel I have to." He told her. "In all my life, I've never once lifted a hand to you. All the times I've read to you, spent time with you...that's the real me. The person that did that...that's a different person."

"But...you did do it!" Emma reiterated.

"The one thing that I learned in all my years is that there are some people that cannot and will not resolve their differences without violence. It's all they know." He told her. "So, I'm violent when I have to be. I'm just trained, and...a little better at it."

"But violence..."

"It is better to be violent if there is violence in your heart, than to hide behind a cloak of non-violence to hide impotence." He said to her. Emma just looked at him a little puzzled. "One of your idols, Mahatma Ghandi said that."

"He...he did?" Emma asked. He just smiled and nodded.

"Sometimes, the only thing you can do is fight for what you believe in." He told her. "I know it's a shock, it's why I always try to keep that side of things from you, but I promise you one thing. You and Gia...you matter more to me than anything in the world. If anyone threatens either of you...and I do mean anyone, they will sincerely regret it. It's only because I love both of you so much, I will never allow anyone to harm you."

Emma could hardly believe what she had heard. There was indeed a lot about her dad she didn't know. She didn't know he had served in the Marines. She didn't know about a lot of what he had seen and done in his life. All she could do now was satisfy herself with this. He had never strictly speaking lied to her. He had never tried, not even when she outright asked him about something he clearly didn't want to tell her. There was only one thing that she was certain about. Even with this new information, he was the dad she'd always known. There was another part of him, things she might want to know more about in time, but for now she could only feel the sincerity of the fact that his only motivation was the love he had for her and for Gia. She just threw herself over the table and engulfed him in a tight hug. He returned it as she held him tightly. It was a world she was no longer certain of, and for now, she was glad to have one thing she was certain of. Her dad would always be there.


	9. The Field Trip

The rest of the week went by quickly, and without incident. A little too quietly for his taste, having lived in Panorama City for the two years of the Nighlock war Spike found the change of pace a little unsettling. He was used to incursions so regular that he didn't have time to imagine the worst case scenario. This threat though...they seemed to be biding their time, preparing for something...big.

His cell phone rang and he checked the caller ID before answering. His mom had called him pretty much on the hour every hour since he had arrived. His girlfriend Vicky had called a couple of times. He hated keeping them in the dark, but he knew that while he was doing work for Lauren, the less they knew about it, the better for their sake. He saw it was Lauren, and answered.

"It took you long enough." She began. Spike just rolled his eyes.

"I was just checking caller ID." He informed her. "Do you have any idea how many times mom's called since I got here?"

"Sorry, but this is important." Lauren replied. "So...how are things?"

"The team...they seem pretty solid." Spike told her. "They're not as close as the Samurai, but they're managing."

"Just keep an eye on them." Lauren instructed him.

"I will." He replied s he saw Mr Burley coming. "Uh...gotta go sweetie, time for class!"

Before Lauren could protest, he hung up and put his phone away. Part of his undercover assignment meant a certain level of deception, that apparently included his sensei. He couldn't really explain to a teacher why he was talking about kids he'd barely met over the phone.

"Just this way Mr Skullovitch." Mr Burley said, waving him onward. "The rest of the class is waiting by the bus."

In the Warstar flagship, the Admiral was still in the throes of his latest tantrum. Vrak was wise enough to just keep his distance.

Creepox, despite his many, many failings, was indeed one of the Admiral's strongest warriors. He had gone to Earth out of a matter of arrogance, and paid the ultimate price. While Vrak wasn't exactly weeping over his grave, seeing the new opening as an opportunity more than a tragedy, he had to admit that his lord's moods were more than a little worrying. After all, if he was willing to allow his most trusted general to go personally to fufill a vendetta, then what value did he really place on his underlings?

"Master, I think I have another plan." Vrak told him.

"The time for plots and schemes is over!" The Admiral screamed. "Prepare the planet killer to open..."

"I have a feeling this planet may yet be of worth!" Vrak implored him. "Please, I think I may still be able to add it to your empire."

"It is a worthless ball of dirt..."

"Not exactly, it has more natural radioactive minerals than any other planet we've encountered with life on it." Vrak continued. "I believe if we take care of the Rangers..."

"What do you have in mind?" The Admiral asked him. Vrak grinned evilly.

"The humans have made enemies on their own world, never mind the rest of the universe." Vrak answered. "I will recruit..."

"Do what you will." The Admiral answered. "Return with word of your victory or not at all!"

Vrak just bowed as he left. He did indeed have a plan, but one that if he pulled it off, would mean he would no longer bow and scrape to the Admiral. If all went to plan, he would rule alone.

Gia came into the school nervously. She hadn't been back since news had broken in the media about her abduction. It was the last day of the week, and it had been assigned to a field trip, but she didn't have the stomach to face anything more.

She could still see some kids sniggering and pointing. It was exactly what she had always dreaded, it was the reason she had never even considered coming out during her school years. Despite all the things going on in the world, the economy, the state of the Health Service, the situation in Korea...still the most interesting story to all those kids was that Gia Moran...the hottest girl in school, the one every guy wished they were with, was a lesbian. A part of her didn't even want to come back, thought it would be better if she just went somewhere else, but another part of her wanted to stay. She had ties to Harwood. She had responsibilities here. She was a Ranger. People depended on her.

As she arrived at the bus, she saw Mr Burley, together with Ernie and Mr Goodall.

"Class, as you know, any field trip requires adult supervision. Mr..."

"Please, everyone calls me Ernie." Ernie replied. Mr Burley just nodded.

"Ernie and Mr Goodall have kindly agreed to spend their spare time to allow you to take part in this..."

The rest was all fluff. Mr Burley had a habit of going on and on and on and...well, it was wearing to hear. Jake saw Gia and knew that this was the first time she'd actually been at school since her abduction. A part of him wished things were different, that perhaps there was a chance that in time she would feel the same way about him the way he felt about her, but he knew that would never happen. He tried to make his way over, nudging other students aside, hoping that at least if he was her study buddy, then she wouldn't have any awkward questions to answer. He heard a raised voice and stopped stock still as a girl spilled her bucket of tools on the ground.

"Mr Holllings, kindly contain yourself!" Mr Burley said sternly. "You will partner with Mr Skullovitch! Now, shall we go?"

As they boarded the bus, Jake just looked to the guy he had been partnered with. He wasn't a teacher, he wasn't a TA he wasn't...well...Jake didn't really know what he was. He only knew that he was stuck with this guy that looked like he dressed in the dark, and styled his hair by sticking his fingers in an electrical socket. Spike offered him a hand.

"Hey, I'm..."

"Yeah, whatever." Jake grumbled as he boarded the bus. Spike just took a deep breath.

"OK, I guess I have to work on this one." He replied.

As she sat down, Gia looked around for Emma. She hadn't been at school all week, and had kind of hoped that Emma would be with her for support. She saw her near the front of the bus next to Troy and felt...well...she didn't really know how to describe how she felt. She loved Emma, that much she knew, but now everyone else knew that too. She had already resigned herself to the fact that Emma would never feel about her the way she felt about her. That didn't mean se didn't feel territorial or jealous whenever someone else was near her. Although she knew Troy was a good person, the kind of guy she'd be looking at if she was straight, she couldn't help feeling sick seeing her near Emma.

Her attention was roused as a girl flopped down next to her. She was wearing a light, airy blouse, and a very short jean skirt. She had hair dyed an unnatural shade of red.

"Hey, mind if I sit here?" She asked, almost redundantly, considering the fact she had already sat down. "I'm Cat."

"Gia." Gia replied half-heartedly as she offered her a hand, but pulling it away as soon as Cat had touched it, never mind shaken it.

"Yeah, I kind of know who you are." She replied. Gia didn't even want to hear what she had to say next. She knew she was easily the hottest topic in school. She was the OJ Simpson of Harwood County.

"Um...want to be study buddies?" Cat asked her. Gia just looked a little stunned. She had expected the question to be about her abduction, or the fact she was the token public face of homosexuality in Harwood High. She just looked to Cat and nodded.

"Just...no questions about my family alright?" She put down flatly. Cat just giggled.

"Kay kay." She replied as she patted down the sides of her long hair.

As the bus got to the site, a plot of land far from the centre of town, the kids all disembarked. Mr Burley just started handing out tools.

"Well, we're all here." He stated.

"Um...Mr Burley? This is...it's...well..."

"A dump!" Dirk said, completing Calvin's thoughts. In truth, everyone had to feel the same way.

"Yes, but why is it like that?" He asked. He pointed to a factory beyond a chain-link fence a little way from them. "How much damage do things like that do? Now, begin!"

"Um...buddies?" Noah said to Emma. She just shrugged.

"Guess so." She replied, seeing the sense in having the kid with the highest GPA in science by a huge margin as her partner.

"How about we dig over here?" Cat suggested, pointing a little way off. Gia just waved her away.

"You start, I'll be there soon." She replied.

"Kay kay!" Cat said cheerfully as she left.

Later, after a couple of hours, Noah took a seat on a fallen log. He sat, swigging some water lazily. He loved science, but he was beginning to appreciate why most labs hired people to collect samples for them. Emma came by, looking to the factory beyond the fence.

"It kind of makes you think doesn't it?" Emma asked him. Noah just nodded in agreement.

"Truman industries...it was the biggest plant in the area." He commented. "Now, it's a tomb."

"Gia's dad worked there." Emma informed him. "They down-sized about five months ago to save money. It didn't work, they still went under."

"They were also one of the biggest polluters in the city." Noah stated. "They were sued dozens of times about it. For them, it was always cheaper to settle out of court than to do anything about it."

Emma stooped town, pushing her hand through the fence. She scooped up a sample of the soil just beyond the area they were meant to be exploring.

"Would you...test this?" Emma asked him. Noah just gave her a goofy little grin.

"Sure, why not?" He asked. Just then, they were both thrown off their feet.

"What the hell was that?" Emma shrieked.

At another point of the dig, he rolled around on the dirt, not knowing where he was. Between the panic, and the dust in the air, he had no idea where he was or what was happening. Voices cried out all around, but it was virtually impossible to pinpoint...well...anything.

He tripped and stumbled, and his hand fell, landing on cold metal. He heard a voice in his head.

"I have found my host...you shall carry me from now on." The voice stated as the piece of metal changed shape, into what looked like a spider, with a pearl for a body. It scrambled up his arm and up his neck. "From this day forth, you are my vessel!"

The victim screamed in agony as it scrambled inside him, taking place in its new home.


	10. New Threat, New Mystery

The earth shook at the site of the field trip, throwing the students into a state of panic. Even Mr Burley seemed to be panicking a little. Being California, it wasn't like Harwood had never seen an Earthquake before, but usually they didn't get anything so severe, especially without any form of warning.

He looked around for any sign of his students, or the chaperones who had volunteered their time to help him look after them. Being a trip designed to take samples of soil from around the old plant, some of them had wandered a reasonable distance from the relative safety of the bus, meaning he hadn't actually seen all of them for a while. Gia was the first to appear, dragging a confused and disorientated Cat with her.

"She fel-*l down the hill over there. She hit some rocks pretty hard." Gia told him, helping Cat get to the bus. Mr Burley showed her inside, knowing that there was a first aid kit inside. He had a feeling that hers would not be the only injuries. He found his fears quickly confirmed as Mr Goodall showed up, ushering Emma and Noah back towards the main site.

"Mr Goodall..."

"I'm fine." He blurted out as Mr Burley saw blood flowing down the side of his head from a nasty looking wound. He was also holding his ribs. "I'm going to look for the others."

"Mr Goodall..."

"Trust me, I'll be fine!" He called back as he made his way off to find more students. Just as he thought, most of them had gone with their first instinct to head back to the bus when the quake hit. Most of them seemed to be unharmed, but a few of them appeared to be carrying minor injuries from where they had been thrown to uneven ground, some of which was dotted with rocks, or even waste that had been carelessly discarded by virtue of the fact that because of the factory, most people didn't really come out here, meaning it was an ideal site for fly tipping. It wasn't like there was much risk of being caught and fined if even the local authorities tended to avoid the site.

"Troy!" Emma called out, seeing him heading towards the bus, helping Calvin drag the huge, dead-weight that was Dirk's hulking frame. He looked well and truly out of it, his forehead completely caked in dried blood. She was quickly by his side. "Are you...?"

"I managed to keep my balance, but Dirk took a pretty bad spill." He informed her. "Mr Burley, is everyone...?"

Almost on cue, Ernie put in an appearance, carrying a lifeless form across his shoulders in a fireman's carry. He was being followed by Spike and Jake, and all three of them were running.

"Get the bus started!" Ernie called out.

"Oh, my word!" Mr Burley gasped as he saw that they were not alone. Breaking through the tree line, there were three beasts, all chasing them. His eyes were wide. While monsters were no longer exactly a rare site in these parts, he couldn't ever recall seeing more than one of the great beasts in one place at one time. Ernie stumbled to one knee as he was hit in the leg by a blast, but with Jake's help, quickly recovered. Troy ushered the astonished teacher onto the bus.

"I think that's all of us!" He called out, doing a quick head count. The students quickly pushed and shoved their way onto the bust. The Rangers all looked around each other as they weighed up the situation. The monsters looked strong, and they knew they would have to face them, but right now, they had a number of injured that needed urgent medical help. Sizing up the situation, Troy made a judgement call.

"Mr Burley, start up the bus!" He yelled at the teacher, turning back to the door. "Jake, Ernie hurry up!"

"Not an issue!" Jake said breathlessly as he got to the bus, stopping in the door with Troy. Spike did the same, gesturing to Ernie to hurry. Ernie was limping only a short way behind them, and dumped the limp body from his shoulders into Jake and Troy's waiting arms. Spike took him under the arms and helped drag him onto they bus. They saw as he did this that it was Jordan.

"Is that everyone?" Emma asked as Ernie threw himself into the bus, collapsing on the floor.

"Yeah, three adults, nineteen kids." Gia answered. Sometimes, her above-average brain and especially her borderline eidetic memory was very useful. "Mr Burley, let's..."

"Move aside." Mr Goodall declared, shoving Mr Burley out of the drivers' seat. He started up the engine, and gunned it, pulling away as quickly as the school bus' modest engine would allow. The vehicle was rocked by a couple of blasts, but Eric had taken the wheel for a reason. Part of his training for his security business was pursuit and evasive driving. He managed to maintain control, taking the vehicle out onto the road, leaving the beasts behind Mr Burley turned to the devastated class, feeling his heart sinking. He was responsible for their safety on this trip, and he had ended up with nearly half of them looking at a trip to the hospital. Troy saw that he looked upset and left Jordan with Jake, heading over.

"You couldn't have known." Tory told him. "For what it's worth, it looks like that earthquake wasn't exactly natural."

"Mr Goodall...head for the hospital." He sighed. "Class, if anyone has cell phones that still work, start calling your relatives to meet you at the hospital."

"Mr Burley, you can't blame yourself..."

"Their safety was my responsibility." Mr Burley informed him. "I...I just wanted to..."

"Look, everyone's on board, and everyone's alive." Gia interrupted him. "You did everything you could."

This didn't seem to console Mr Burley much. He just gathered up the first aid kit, and went to the first of the victims. Opening up the kit, he began handing out supplies.

"Anyone with any first aid experience, help your fellow students." He told them. Ernie and the others students just dutifully got to work, helping their classmates.

Back at the site of the plant, the three beasts watched their victims go, roaring in triumph. As they watched the bus disappear into the distance, they became aware of another creature arriving behind them.

Vrak stood before the three creatures in his Earth Armour, a precaution he took largely because he couldn't rule out the possibility that they would attack. He had become aware of the pollution from the old plant some time ago, and was aware that many of the chemicals leaking into the earth had a pronounced effect on the local flora and faunae. For the most part, many of the chemicals were extremely toxic, and left large parts of this area a complete wasteland, killing off much of the wildlife, however that was not the only thing that had happened.

Many of the chemicals released were somewhat unique in their make-up, making them into powerful mutagenic agents. While it normally took generations for pronounced mutations to take place, the fact was that the chemicals being released were not exactly the run-of-the-mill pollution, and the plant had been polluting this area for the better part of fifty years. He had already seen some evidence that there were some extremely promising life forms lying dormant in the area, in a kind of incubation or stasis as their bodies became used to the horrific effects the chemicals had on them. All it took from him was a little nudge to finally awaken them.

One of them stood, towering above Vrak, and from what he could see, the others looked to it as kind of a leader, likely as the most powerful. It had blue fur, and looked a little like the mythical sasquatch of Earth's folkelore. He was carrying a massive, double-ended mace.

The one next to him, could only be described as a massive blob of pink flesh. Finally, there was another nearby, which seemed at one point to have been a snake of some description, which had a massive, hooded head, and long, hooked fangs. He approached with caution, being prepared to defend himself or flee if things didn't go well. At best, he could convince these wonderful beasts to join him. At worst...he could point them in the direction of the Rangers and let them run wild. Either way worked for him.

"Impressive. I had saw the power readings from this area, but I had no idea until I saw it with my own eyes." He said with an impressed tone in his voice. "One battle, and you sent the Rangers running for the hills, something even that fool Creepox never managed to do. This is indeed...impressive."

"Who...who are you?" One of the creatures, the blue furred one that Vrak took to be the de facto leader of the group croaked out, as though using its voice for the first time. Vrak looked a little taken aback, but smiled. Clearly the mutation was a lot more advanced than he had previously believed. They appeared to have evolved vocal chords and the neurological networks required for speech. In the short time they had been exposed to human voices, they had already picked up enough to master basic communication.

"Well, this shall make things easier." He said with a little smile. "My name is Vrak, I came to help you against your enemies."

"Enemies?" One of the others asked. This time it was the blob monster. Vrak saw the way it looked at him, and saw it already trying to fathom what he meant. It wasn't beyond their developing minds to realise that Vrak was not like the human, he wasn't like them either, but he seemed more like them than the humans did.

"Enemies, the humans are enemies." He explained. "They did this to you, turned you into what you are now, turned your home into...nothing more than where they dispose of their waste."

The creatures all understood what he meant now. They already knew that they were not what they once were. They were changing, becoming something else entirely. Their home, their once beautiful home was now poisoned, broken. They dimly remembered a time before, when the foul chemicals hadn't turned their natural diet into a poison that killed many of their kind. The themselves only stayed because by the time it occurred to them that the food they ate was making them sick, causing their pain, they were already too ill to migrate. They had no choice but to eat the poison, knowing that it would probably kill them, but having no alternative within reach. In time though, the chemicals stopped making them sick. It no longer hurt to eat, and instead, they found themselves growing, changing. Their bodies became strong, and their minds started to make sense of things that otherwise never would have occurred to them.

Now, Vrak had explained to them. The creatures who invaded their land, who had come here without invitation...he had informed them that they were the ones who had done this in the first place. They were the ones that turned their world into a plague.

"Humans are enemies." The blue furred one stated. "Then what are you?"

"I'm the one with enough respect for you to tell you what you are." He replied. "I'm the one that will name you, and help you set things right with the ones who poisoned your world, my...toxic mutants."

The one with the blue fur just growled, and stood up straight.

"Vrak?" He asked. "Show us where the humans are!"

The school bus arrived at the hospital, where a crew were waiting for them. Mr Burley had called ahead to inform them that they were coming with casualties. He, Ernie and Mr Goodall, together with some of the kids that hadn't been badly hurt quickly helped the worst affected to doctors to ensure they were seen first.

Ernie laid Jordan down on a gurney, while Troy helped Dirk to another.

"Alright, this one's unconscious, take him straight to the ER." One of the doctors stated, checking on Jordan. "Alright, everyone please wait your turn, my team will check up on all of you, please try to remain calm.

As the doctors got to work, trying to assess the extent of the injuries, Ernie and Mr Goodall politely declined treatment. Eric saw Ernie pass up his turn and looked to him curiously.

"You should probably get checked out." Eric suggested. Ernie just shrugged.

"I would rather the children are seen first." He told him. "I have had worse in my time."

"You've seen action?" Mr Goodall asked. Ernie just nodded.

"I was part of my town's security forces back home." He informed him. "It is a time I would prefer not to talk about."

"I served in the Middle East." Mr Goodall told him. "I can believe that."

"I had hoped that I would leave such things in that place." Ernie sighed, looking around at the frightened and injured teenagers. Mr Goodall just placed a hand on his shoulder.

"So did I." He assured him.

Meanwhile, a little way off, the Rangers pulled together. None of them had really been hurt in the attack. A few bumps and bruises from their efforts to get the other kids out of harm's way quickly. Their priority was to their safety. Although they had their morphers, they had made the decision on the spot that running was the best option.

"Man, this was a mess." Jake said as he ran his hands through his hair in frustration. "What the hell was that? We've never seen the Warstar come at us like that."

"It's certainly new tactics for them to come at us mob handed like that." Gia agreed. "They didn't even do any of their usual gloating first. Usually when one of them shows up he recites his manifesto before trying to tear the place up."

"Yeah, this didn't feel right, it just didn't seem the same at all." Emma continued.

"Maybe that's because it isn't." Troy suggested. The others just looked at him curiously. "I don't know, I can't explain it, but Emma's right about the fact this just doesn't feel right. This feels like something new, something...different."

"Troy, what are you...?" Emma began to ask. "Is this about...your dreams?"

"Your dreams?" Jake asked. Although the Rangers had given Troy a certain measure of benefit of the doubt with his mention of mysterious dreams about monsters and other Rangers, and even a coming war, it was becoming harder for some of them than others to accept it, especially when Troy was never very specific about exactly what he saw in the dreams. He was their leader, he had shown in the field more than once that he had some level of knowledge that somehow led them to success, which so far was reason enough for a certain level of blind faith, but there were times it was a little too much to ask.

"In part, yes, but...not entirely." Troy told them, finding it difficult to understand it himself. "I saw these things before. I don't know what they are, but...I don't think they're Warstar. I saw them with Vrak..."

"Well, if you saw them with Vrak, then that makes them Warstar in my book." Jake put down flatly. "If they're siding with that creep..."

"Look at this, they don't act like the Warstar, their behaviour, their actions...none of it is like the others." Troy pressed on. "I think this is something new entirely. I'm not sure if it's just a new weapon, or something more serious. All I know is from what I saw, it's powerful."

"From what we all saw it was powerful." Noah said facetiously. "They caused a localised freaking earthquake!"

"If nothing else, maybe it would help trying to figure out what these things are?" Emma suggested, finding herself siding with Troy. "Um...maybe it would help us fight them?"

Just then, their morphers bleeped. They didn't know what was going on, all they knew was that if Gosei was contacting them, then it had to be important.

"Rangers, an extraordinary power level is approaching the gas station at the entrance to the Ocean Bluff Highway." He informed them.

"We'll get there." Troy told him, looking around and seeing Mr Burley calling parents, while Mr Goodall and Ernie kept an eye on kids. "Um...I'm not sure how..."

Nearby, they didn't realise that Spike had overheard a lot of the conversation. He was certain that the Megaforce team weren't quite as experienced in having their communications in private as the Samurai were. They hadn't had the benefit of a few generations to perfect covert operations. He figured they could use a hand. He made his way into the middle of the lobby area, towards Mr Burley, and grabbed the man by the jacket.

"Please, don't call my mom!" Spike begged him, dragging the man to his feet. "I only just got here!"

"Young man..."

"You don't understand, my mom's really freakishly protective, she'll drag me back to Panorama by dinner time!" He continued to whine. Mr Goodall and Ernie both ran over to intervene, while others just stared on at the scene. Spike looked around in time to see that the Rangers had noticed their opportunity and taken the opportunity to run out, before turning back to the adults swarming around him, trying to calm him and assure him all would be well.

Meanwhile, in a side room, one of the many patients was resting after being seen. His doctors had left him to rest to recuperate once they had satisfied themselves that his wounds weren't life-threatening.

He suddenly felt his body being gripped by an unnatural energy. He was wracked in pain as it felt like every muscle was straining to the limit. His eyes jerked open, and he found himself rising from his bed.


	11. A Guardian Arises

The Toxic Mutants made their way through this land, leaving their home for the first time to find that much of what Vac had said was true. This place was no longer a place of beauty, was no longer a home to their former find. Now, it was corrupted, warped...violated by their enemies.

Where there were once streams and clearings, now their stood pavements and buildings where people went about their lives with ignorance to their destruction of what came before. Where once creatures flocked, now metal steeds that spewed out fumes that rose into the skies filled the pathways that their ancestors once walked to watering holes and mating grounds.

"Then what this Vac says is true." The leader stated. "They are the ones destroying what is ours by right!"

"It sickens me to see." The pink, blobby one answered. "And yet, now we are no longer of that world. Now, even I am strengthened in this place."

The others looked at him, but their vastly-expanding minds had come to the same conclusion. There was a time that the toxins that created them had made them sick and weak, but now in their new existence, it nourished them. The air, which no longer smelled like the clean, uncorrupted air they had known in their early days now seemed to give them a sense of comfort and ease. The fluids that had seeped into the earth, and by extension into their food supply now gave them vigour and strength.

"What do we do Bluefur?" The remaining mutant asked in a low hiss. Bluefur just looked to him, hearing this name. "The one named Vac said we needed names."

"I like it." Bluefur answered. "From now on, you shall carry the name Hisser."

"Bigs." The pink, blobby one offered, before looking to the city. "So, what now?"

"Now, we show our enemies the error of their ways." Hisser answered, seeing a man walking down the street, eating a burger. He threw the carton aside with absolutely no care where it landed, despite the fact there were numerous trash cans around. Hisser leapt from his perch, and landed in front of the man.

"That...that is not the way to treat your world." Hisser said menacingly as he approached the terrified man. He turned, finding Bluefur and Bigs behind him.

"Please, don't hurt me!" He begged them. Hisser just laughed.

"And how many pleas from how many creatures have been ignored by your kind?" He asked. "What right do you have to ask for mercy now?"

"Please, I'm...I'm important...I have money!" He rushed out, trying to think of ways to talk his way out of this nightmare. "What do you want? I'll get it for you, I promise?"

"How about our world back to the way it should be?" Bluefur asked him. "No? Well...how about us back to the way we should be? No? Ah, well...then perhaps there is something we can offer you."

Bigs picked up the polystyrene container for the man's burger, and threw it to Hisser, who caught it. He scrunched it up in his hand, and approached the man, seizing him by the neck. The terrified man called out in pain.

"We can give you a lesson in putting your waste, where it belongs!" Hisser answered, shoving the carton into his throat and holding it there as the man choked, fighting desperately to get him to release him. "Let's see you choke on your own filth!"

The Rangers got to the gas station, and looked around. Tensou had warned them that the new threat was heading this way. They were all morphed, all armed, and all ready for battle. The fact that the gas station was here created a new threat. Not only was the station here, there was a tanker, filling the station with a week's worth of gas. So much combustible material made the whole place a potential bomb, one that easily had the power to take out most of the block. They didn't have the luxury of concentrating on their opponents. They needed to also isolate the threat.

"Emma, Noah, try and talk to the guy in the tanker, see if you can convince him to come back another time." Tory instructed them. "Jake, Gia...get ready nearby. We might need to set up barriers if it looks like this place is a threat."

Just as they were about to move, a powerful blast sent all of them to the ground. Hisser, Bigs and Bluefur all walked into view.

"So, from what we understand, you are the Rangers." Bluefur greeted them. "So, you are the ones that stand as champions for this...slight on the face of our world!"

"Um...what?" Noah asked, completely confused. "Your world? You're Aliens! You came here!"

"We were always here! It is your kind that poisoned our homeland!" Bigs called back. "However, instead of wiping us out, all it did was make us stronger, strong enough to show you the error of your ways!"

"What are you talking about?" Emma asked him. Bluefur just pointed to the gas station.

"This...this stands as an idol to your violation of the very world that you inhabit!" He told her. "You use the corpses of what came before you to poison everything all to make your fleeting existence a little easier!"

"Pollution?" Emma asked him. "You're saying you...you're angry about pollution?"

"We simply seek to cure the world of a virus." Hisser said angrily. "A virus we have come to know as humans!"

"I guess it's too much to hope we can talk about this?" Jake offered. The three Toxic Mutants rushed forward, preparing to attack.

"Does that answer your question?" Noah sarcastically replied as he brought his Bowgun to bear.

Back at the hospital, Mr Burley made his way into a side room. He had been bombarded from all sides since the disastrous field trip. His phone had blown up so much, that once he had finished calling the last of the kids' emergency contacts to inform them everyone was at the hospital, he had no choice but to turn it off. A couple of people had already arrived, and wasted no time in questioning his sanity, his logic, and his abilities as a teacher in taking his class out to a toxic waste site mere months after regular attacks by monsters had begun.

He hated to admit it, but he was questioning all of those things, and more himself. He had always sought to make his classes engaging, and get the kids thinking about what they were doing, and what science meant to the world throughout his career. In his first week as a fully tenured teacher, far more years ago than he would dare to admit, he had almost ended up with a pink slip straight off the bat, because as a practical demonstration of why safety rules existed in a lab, he had mixed a couple of chemicals on his desk, and ignited them with the friction from a centre punch hammered into the desk, causing a small explosion. He felt it would be a far more effective demonstration of how dangerous things could be in a lab than any hours-long lecture.

He had measured out the chemicals exactly, and knew for a fact the explosion he caused would be no more dangerous than a cap pistol, but that didn't matter at the time. Several people complained, and it was only the fact that not only was no one hurt, but his qualifications and numerous testimonies from his university professors that he had more than enough knowledge to know that it wasn't dangerous that stopped him ending up on the unemployment line. He had toned down his little demonstrations since then, but he still always wanted to give the kids a real-world feel for what science was and encourage the same passion for it he had.

He had to admit that on paper, things didn't sound good. The town was in a state of...well...he wasn't sure war was the right word, but they were certainly under attack. The monsters had been coming to the city for a couple of months. The scientist, and conspiracy theorist in him was intrigued, and wanted to know more, but the danger was always present. It had been hard enough to convince the education department to sign off on a field trip anyway, but now he had returned with half his class needing hospital treatment, he was certain that the PTA and the education board would be looking for someone to blame, and he was the obvious choice.

A nurse came in, seeing him on the couch, and quietly went about her business. She could see he was upset, and looked to him.

"Everything's being done and..." She paused as she saw him. "Mr Burley?"

"Um...yes?" He asked. She just smiled and gestured to her name badge.

"It's me, Linda!" She told him. "Linda Kyle? I was in your class!"

"You...you were?" He asked her. "Well, I guess you got out in one piece."

"That school trip, that was your class?" She asked. He just nodded sadly.

"They're all here because of me." He grumbled. "I should never have taken them on that trip. The PTA's going to be looking for my head on a pike."

"I...don't think they do that anymore." Linda offered weakly. Mr Burley didn't seem to be in a mood to take the joke though.

"I was responsible for their safety, and what do I do?" He asked her. "I take her to the most polluted place in the city you don't need a Has Mat certificate to get access to! It's a miracle no one's died!"

"Mr Burley, you can't blame yourself. No one could have predicted what was going to happen." Linda continued. "From what I understand, you were attacked. That's not something you could help."

"Well, if I'd kept them in a class with textbooks..."

"Mr Burley, what happened isn't your fault." Linda assured him. "If they have any sense, they'll see that."

"I just...I've had parents screaming at me most of the day, the education department's called...I can't help feeling..."

"It's a witch hunt; you can't take this to heart." Linda told him, sitting with him. "You're an amazing teacher."

"Maybe...maybe it is time I retired." He suggested. "Maybe it is best I'm not responsible..."

"Mr Burley, that would be a horrible thing to happen." Linda put down flatly. "It's because of you I'm here."

He just looked at her as Linda smiled.

"I was wasting my time at school, but you pushed me. You challenged me and made me think about stuff, stuff I just took for granted." She told him. "By the time I left school, I went into nursing. It's been the best thing that ever happened to me."

"Well...that might be one success story." He said dejectedly. "But half the kids..."

"I'll tell you what, I'll see if I can't get you an update on most of them." She suggested. "Strictly speaking I shouldn't, but I'm sure I can tell you they'll be alright."

Before he could answer, she got up and left. He lay back on the couch, exhausted from the strain the day had put on him. He couldn't help feeling guilty about what had happened, and knew that in time he would have to answer a lot of difficult questions. All he could hope was that nothing terrible happened to the kids. He would take the fall with good grace if it was his fall to take. The one thing he cared about was that the kids wouldn't suffer as a result of his actions.

Back at the site of the battle, he arrived, seeing the battle already underway. He still had no idea what was driving him, or why he had come. All he could see was three monsters fighting the Rangers. The Red Ranger was fighting a large, blue-furred creature, while Pink and Blue were facing one that looked somewhat like a snake. Yellow and Black were being pounded into the pavement by the last, a pink blob of a creature.

He took in a deep breath, and the stench of pollution assaulted his nostrils. He could smell from here the filth that had created these creatures, and it stirred something inside him. He watched as the Red Ranger landed in a heap. The Pink and Blue Rangers were already down, not far from him, while Black and Yellow were a little way off.

"What the hell are these things?" Noah screamed. "They're killing us!"

"What are we meant to do against these things?" Jake protested. "Our attacks keep going through this guy; it's like trying to staple a Jello to the ceiling!"

"These guys are tough!" Emma agreed, firing her Phoenix shot again, only for Hisser to avoid it in lightning-quick motions. "What can we do?"

In his place of cover, he felt something stir inside him, and the flesh on the back of his neck felt like something was pressing through. Without a word, something inside erupted. The last thing he saw before the last of his consciousness faded was seeing metal armour form around his hands.

Emma continued to fire shots at Hisser, but he weaved around them with ease, before reaching her, grabbing her tightly. He wrapped his tail around her neck as he tossed her weapon aside.

"You...you protect the ones that did this to the world." He commented.

"We...We protect the whole world." She gulped, struggling for breath.

"Your kind created us, and now you stand in their defence." He stated. "That makes you the enemy."

"Created?" She asked him. "What...?"

"You protect everything?" He taunted her. "Do I look like I need protecting?"

The others watched helplessly as Emma was slammed into the concrete, shattering it beneath her. They were quickly by her side, but that turned out to be a mistake. Hisser whipped his head backwards, before spewing forth a torrent of toxic filth that engulfed them. All off the Rangers instantly fell to the ground, struggling to move.

"It...It's burning!" Gia grunted.

"I feel so weak!" Noah added. "What is this stuff?"

"It is a small taste of your own medicine." Hisser replied. "It is a taste of the poison you've inflicted on us for years!"

"The question is, do we let you suffer as we have?" Bigs asked. "Or do we just finish you now?"

"I say, we make an example of them." Bluefur stated, gripping his mace tightly as they advanced. Just after that, all three of them were sent flying by blasts. The Rangers all looked for the source of the assistance, seeing someone in the shadows cast by the petrol station and the gas tanker. He was too far away, and still shielded by shadows.

"Who the hell is that?" Jake asked as he started to advance. Troy saw the three Toxic Mutants powering up a blast.

"Guys!" He called out. They were already weakened, but saw the threat. Gia and Jake slammed cards into their morphers, raising barriers around the gas station as the blasts fired out, to funnel the destruction away from nearby buildings. Noah used the Defenstream to keep the worst of the fireball under control. They all collapsed, barely conscious from the effort, but the gas station and a large portion of the street were already aflame.

"So much for that." Bluefur snorted. "Now, what to do about..."

He stopped as he heard steel grating against concrete. The three turned to see pieces of wreckage moving. From the inferno, they could barely see a figure striding towards them.

He strode out, the flames not affecting his advance. His focus had mechanical precision, and was as implacable as steel. He came into view, flames flickering around him, reflecting off his armour. Emma looked up, not believing what she was seeing.

"That...that symbol." Troy stammered, seeing the glyph of Gosei, the same one that was on their helmets on his forehead. "I've...I've seen him before, in my dreams."

"I am a Guardian of the Earth! I am Robot Knight!" The stranger announced as he stepped onto the street and into view, letting the Rangers all see him in full. He stood before the Toxic Mutants, who considered him for a moment, before attacking. The Robot Knight just drew a weapon from a sheath in his waist, forming it into a sword and ran into battle.

**A/N: **Yes...that's right...I'm taking the origin and story of the Robo Knight...screwing it into a ball...and tossing it straight in the recycling bin! No disrespect to the writers of the show, but I personally find Robot characters pretty bland and uninteresting (with no emotions, where is there to go?) So, I've got my own version. Hope you like it.


	12. Robo Knight's Debut

The Rangers watched as the new arrival, the Robo Knight, rushed into battle. He rushed forth without fear, like an engine of war as the Toxic Mutants fired blasts his way, not flinching in the least as some rebounded off his armour.

He got to Bigs, and his first swing went straight through him, just as Jake and Gia had found, but a power blast baked enough of his flesh solid that the second swing sent him crashing through a nearby van.

Bluefur came for him, swinging his mace, but Robo Knight seemed to know he was coming almost before Bluefur did, and ducked aside, letting him shatter the sidewalk. Robo Knight spun around, kicking him with enough force to send him the entire width of the street.

He turned, facing the last of the three, Hisser. He held his guard up in preparation for his attack.

"You fight for the humans?" He asked.

"I fight for the Earth." Robo Knight corrected him. "Leave now, or I will make you leave!"

Hisser spitted more of his toxic venom his way, but Robo Knight just pulled to the side, letting it fly millimetres past his head. He changed the sword he was holding into a blaster.

"My turn!" He called back, firing several blasts and bringing Hisser to his knees in agony. He approached the creature slowly, thought fully, looking on it pitilessly as he put a card into his morpher.

"Vulcan Blaster." He called out as he pulled out a device that looked a lot like a Gatling gun and slapped it onto the end of his gun. Hisser just looked up at him as he levelled it at his skull.

Before he could say another word, Robo Knight pulled the trigger, blasting straight through Hisser's skull, obliterating it and sending pieces of it flying. He put his weapon away as what remained of Hisser's body fell to the ground and exploded.

He turned to face Bluefur and Bigs, who looked on in shock at seeing their comrade fall. Robo Knight just stood, gesturing them to attack.

"You stand as a guardian of the Earth, yet you defend the ones that have done it the most harm!" Bluefur roared. "You shall suffer their fate!"

With that, they both disappeared in a cloud of thick, oily smoke. Robo Knight just turned in time to see the Rangers struggling. They all had finally gathered enough energy to supercharge themselves and burn off the toxic sludge that was weakening them. Troy approached him.

"Thanks, we..."

"Guys, it looks like we have another round to go." Jake stated as he saw Zombats descending. Robo Knight just held up a hand.

"This is my battle, stand down." He stated abruptly, before leaping into the air. His armour seemed to re-shape and grow, turning into a tank with a Lion face at the front, and landed, shattering the tarmac beneath it. The vehicle powered up and drove towards the now mega-sized Hisser.

"Um...you're the science guy right?" Jake asked. "How does that work?"

"When I know, I'll tell you." Noah replied, watching the battle taking place. Before long, the Lion Zord emerged triumphant, and Hisser fell to the ground, exploding one last time. The Lion Zord re-shaped and shrunk back into the Robo Knight, and stood on the street before the Rangers. They all ran forward, standing before him.

"That...that was incredible!" Jake told him. "You're amazing!"

"I'll say, all that weapons tech is unbelievable!" Noah added.

"Yeah, we're all glad you're on our side." Troy stated, extending a hand. Robo Knight looked down to his hand, then back up, turned and walked away.

"So...that was rude." Jake stated.

"Yeah, but it could be a problem." Troy replied. "His power is incredible, but until we know what side he's on..."

"Dude, he sent those...whatever they are packing!" Jake reminded him. "He obliterated that one..."

"I'll still feel a bit better if I know more about what's going on." Troy stated, kneeling down and picking up a piece of organic matter. "When was the last time you saw a Warstar Alien leaving pieces behind?"

He handed it to Noah, who retched a little, seeing it was a piece of skull and tissue.

"Noah, you and Tensou check that out when you have a chance." Troy instructed him. "In the meantime, we should be getting back to the hospital. That Spike kid can't have kept everyone distracted all this time."

Back at the hospital, the Rangers sneaked back in, trying to find ways to legitimise their absence. It turned out that it was something of a moot point, since the hospital was bedlam. Even with the efforts of the Rangers, the explosion at the gas station and the Earthquake meant there were plenty of admissions.

Clambering through the window of a room, Gia found an unmade bed, with the bed clothes all over the place. She knew that someone was meant to be here, so it wouldn't be long until...

"Gia?" She heard a voice ask. She was on her knees, having stumbled coming through the window, and realised this had to look odd. "What are you doing on the floor?"

She looked up, seeing Cat standing over her. The entire left side of her face was stitched up, having taken the brunt of the fall. Gia looked to her.

"Um...shouldn't you be in bed?" She asked. Cat just shrugged and dutifully went to the bed, hopping in and pulling the covers over herself.

"I needed the toilet." She told Gia. "So...what are you doing here?"

"Um...Gia searched for an explanation and mercifully found one in the form of a quarter that had been kicked under the bed. She picked it up, and stood up, showing the quarter to Cat. "I just...came to check on you and dropped this."

"You came to check on me?" Cat asked her, with a grin on her face.

"Uh...yeah, we were study buddies remember?" Gia asked her.

"Kay kay." Cat replied cheerfully. "The doctor said I'll be OK."

"I'm glad to hear it." Gia replied. Cat saw her starting to leave and caught her wrist.

"Gia...um...the samples!" She rushed out. Gia saw Cat was pointing to some samples on the unit by her bed. "I got those before I fell."

Gia realised that Cat was worried about them getting a bad grade, and just sighed.

"Somehow I doubt Mr Burley's going to be thinking about samples." Gia told her.

"Just...take them anyway kay?" Cat asked. Gia just smiled, and nodded, taking the samples with her.

"So, are your parents...?"

"My brother." Cat corrected her. "I live with my brother, we fell out with my parents a while back."

"Sorry to hear that." Gia answered. "I know all about messed up families."

"Yeah, I kina heard." Cat replied, before seeing Gia's expression. She looked horrified, like she was worried she had offended Gia badly. "Um...from the papers I mean. I heard about...um...well...you know..."

"The fact my dad kidnapped me?" Gia asked her. Cat just nodded wordlessly. It was pretty big news, and while the net was closing in, he was still on the run. Gia approached, putting a hand in Cat's and holding it. "Don't worry, I know you didn't mean anything by it."

"You're really brave." Cat told her. "You know...to come back from all of that."

"Sometimes it doesn't feel like it." Gia told her. "Half the time all I want to do is hide in a hole until the world just goes away."

"But you didn't." Cat replied weakly.

"Just concentrate on getting better." Gia told her. "It is kind of my fault you got hurt."

"No, no, it wasn't!" Cat rushed out.

"I told you to go and dig near the hill." Gia reminded her, remembering when they left the bus. She had only done it because Cat's bubbly personality and endless chatter on the bus had started to get on her nerves. She had told her to go to the hill to get her away from her. If she hadn't done that, Cat would never have fallen so far onto the rocks.

"It's ok." Cat assured her. "Maybe we can buddy up if they do let us test these samples?"

"Maybe." Gia replied with a smile. "Just...rest and try not to hurt yourself."

"Kay kay." Cat replied, pulling up the covers. Gia left the room, breathing a sigh of relief. If it had been anyone else, they would have probably figured out that she had climbed in the window. Cat though was always so spacey that she figured she hadn't a clue anything was amiss.

Meanwhile, Emma had slid through a window, finding herself in a toilet cubicle. It was only as she heard a voice that she realised to her horror it was the guy's bathroom. She crouched on the toilet seat, with no option but to wait until she couldn't hear anyone and slip out without anyone wondering why she was in the mens' room.

She heard someone stumble in, and saw a pair of feet beneath the cubicle. She heard him running a tap, before another pair of shoes came to him, ones she recognised. She had bought them for her dad.

"Ernie." He said. "Are you alright?"

"I...I just feel a little dizzy." He remarked. "I have felt worse."

"I'll get a doctor..."

"No, others need treatment more." Ernie told him. "I...I can wait."

"There's a margin between bravery and stupidity." Mr Goodall reminded him. "Just...let me get you some help. I'm sure there's someone around here that can see to you."

With that, they left in search of a doctor. Emma wanted to know more, Ernie was a friend...more than a friend, he had taken care of Gia when she needed it the most. Unfortunately, by the time she satisfied herself no one was in the mens' room and left, there was no sign of either of them.

Troy slipped in a fire door that was open, while some student doctors took a smoke break. As he got there, he saw Calvin walking around. He looked like he was lost, like he had no idea where he was. Troy came over to him.

"Calvin, are you alright?" He asked.

"Uh...where's Dirk?" He asked in response. Troy could see that he was glassy-eyed, meaning that it was likely he had no idea where he was.

"I'll...I'll take you to find him." Troy answered, putting an arm around him. "Come this way, we'll look for him together."

Noah fell through a window, coming to his feet quickly. He realised that he was in a lab of some kind.

"Hey!" Someone snapped. He turned around, panicking as he heard the tone of voice. "You're the new lab tech right?"

"Uh...yeah." He lied. The guy before him, an older man in a lab coat just rolled his eyes.

"God, I swear you graduates are getting younger. I'll come in one day and have to change diapers." He stated. "Well, there's the equipment, get to work!"

As the doctor left, Noah realised the opportunity he had been left with. He was in a lab, with the sample Troy wanted him to analyse, and there was no one in sight to supervise him! He rushed to a desk, pulling on a lab coat from a nearby hook for effect, and got to work.

Jake arrived through the front door. They had all figured that of all of them, he was the one least likely to get any questions walking back in the front door. He was an outdoor kind of guy, something any of his teachers would attest to. He came in, seeing Jordan getting checked out.

"Hey Jordan, you...?"

"I'm fine." Jordan interrupted him. "Mom and dad want me to see their doctor, but I'll be fine."

"Well, I guess I'll see you at school then." Jake replied making his way past. As Jordan and his parents left, he was thankful for the chaos in the lobby. With the parents and guardians of every kid on the field trip here, yelling at anyone unfortunate enough to stand still too long, demanding answers as to why their children had ended up in hospital after a field trip, he smiled. At least his own parents wouldn't think anything of his disappearance. They'd just be glad he was safe. His grounding ended tomorrow, and he had every intention of serving the last few hours of his sentence in peace.


	13. The Creation of a Knight

The following day, after a somewhat restless night, the Rangers all agreed to meet up at the command centre to get some of their questions answered. They had a lot of new mysteries to figure out. It took some time to convince their parents to let them go out. While none of them were especially badly hurt, their parents were pretty reluctant to just let them go running around the city the day after they had been attacked by the Toxic Mutants and spent most of the rest of the day getting checked up at the hospital.

They assembled before Gosei, for the first time since calling him out and threatening to resign over the fact he had callously manipulated Gia. With the exception of Noah, who was coming by regularly to learn more about technology from Tensou, the Rangers really didn't come by often. Now though, they had a number of questions that needed to be answered.

Troy stood as the elected spokesman for the group. As the leader, the responsibility ultimately fell to him. He had to struggle to figure out where to begin, but eventually settled on the one that he was sure all of them had to be thinking.

"So, what's Robo Knight?" He asked, standing before Gosei.

"That is a long story, one that goes back to a time before we even came to the Earth. It begins with my mentor Zordon."

"Zordon?" Troy asked.

"As you know, we are not of this world. We came from a planet know as Eltar, long before your kind became the dominant species of your world." He began to explain. "The Eltarians were a highly evolved and technologically advanced race, surpassing any other race in the galaxy. Before your kind had mastered fire, we had already mastered interstellar travel."

"So what happened?" Noah asked.

"The Eltarian's progress did not come without a heavy price. Much like your kind is doing to the Earth now, in our arrogance, we abused the resources of our planet and took it for granted. In time, we poisoned our rivers and destroyed our atmosphere. We even caused harm to our own physiology. By the time our numbers were dwindling, it was already too late, and we had no choice but to leave. We scattered to the corners of the galaxy, to seek out somewhere to live out the days until our extinction, hoping that our wisdom could be passed on so that no other race would suffer the same fate."

"Wow, I can't...I can't believe it." Emma gasped. Of all of them, she was the most fanatical about environmentalism. She had seen all the documentaries and read all the pamphlets about the consequences of pollution. From what Gosei was telling them though, it all seemed a lot more real. It had already happened. From what she understood, they had destroyed their own planet. "You didn't come here by choice?"

"Zordon dedicated what remained of his existence to protecting the Earth, to ensure that your fledgling race did not repeat the mistakes of our own people. To that end, he created guardians..."

"The Power Rangers." Jake concluded with kind of a smiled. "That would be us."

"Eventually yes, but before he did, he made some other attempts to create guardians to protect the Earth." He informed them. "Using the vast technology and power at his disposal, he created machines to act as his soldiers. He saw your kind and their capacity for foolhardy action. He believed that by using creations with no emotion, they would act on pure logic, and act in the best interests of the planet. The experiment was a failure."

"Wait...it failed?" Noah asked. "How?"

"With no emotions, the machines had no compassion to assess the subtleties of right or wrong. They in time attacked the very people they were designed to protect. He had no option but to scrap the project. His next attempt to create guardians, he learned from his mistake and charged humans with their own protection. He used the same technology, but he instead empowered humans, knowing that they could make the decisions machines could not." Gosei told them. "The first of such creations was the Robo Knight."

"Wait...Robo Knight...there's a person in there?" Gia asked him.

"The Robo Knight armour served the Earth well, but in time it went into stasis, deciding that it was no longer needed." Gosei carried on. "However, the vessel that had carried it did not bring the armour back, instead placing it in hiding within the Earth, waiting for when it was needed again, and chose a new vessel. We believe that the new monsters caused it to activate."

"But, if it is cybernetic technology, then it needs a person to work." Noah reminded them. "Which means, somewhere out there, someone is running around with some serious firepower!"

"So, who is it?" Gia asked. "I mean, do we really want just anyone running around with that kind of power? He already totalled most of that street taking down that monster."

"Speaking of which, what are those things anyway?" Jake asked.

"I guess now's when we find out." Noah answered, fishing out a zip-lock bag he had used to store the piece of the monster he had collected. "Tensou, can you help out in the lab?"

Meanwhile, in another part of town, the Robo Knight's vessel was resting up at home. The vessel still had no idea what this new entity within him was, he barely had any knowledge at all of what had happened. All he knew was that he felt an incredible rage within him, and armour formed. After that though, he couldn't control anything he did until he got back to the hospital.

He remembered what had happened though. He had seen everything, but he was only a passenger. Whatever was inside him had taken over. The Rangers had been unable to deal with the monsters, but as soon as the power overtook him, he had destroyed Hisser with disdain. He still remembered the feeling when he watched the creature obliterated at his hands.

The Vessel looked to his hands, and couldn't help wondering what on Earth was happening to him, or how he could control it. All he knew was that the power he felt was incredible, and he couldn't wait to experience it again.


	14. Monsters or Victims?

Monday morning rolled around again, meaning that the Rangers now had the added complication of school weighing on their time. They were still waiting on lab results coming back on the remains of the Toxic Mutant that Robo Knight had faced in the field. Moreover, they had to start trying to figure out exactly who was running around town with what essentially amounted to a weapon of mass destruction.

Robo Knight wasn't exactly the most talkative of creatures. Indeed, with the exception of introducing himself to the Toxic Beasts, before unleashing a five-star beat down on them, he hadn't said anything. When the Rangers had approached him, he had just wordlessly left them, rejecting them and disappearing. Now that they had more of an idea of what Robo Knight was, they had a number of worries about it. They didn't know what its drives were, what its motivations were...they had no idea whether he could end up being a threat to them. He sure as hell wasn't much of an ally right now.

Gia came into the Living Room, finding Emma fussing over her dad as he was getting dressed.

"Dad, come on, you heard the doctor, you have to take it easy!" She told him as he pulled on his shoulder harness. "You cracked your ribs two days ago!"

"Sweetheart, the bills don't pay themselves." He answered as he picked up a couple of slices of toast, and pulled on a suit jacket. "Now, your new BMX isn't being delivered until later in the week, so would you like a lift?"

"What I'd like is for my dad to take his health a little more seriously." Emma chastised him, showing him his bottle of pills. "You haven't even taken your anti-biotics yet."

"Emma, I'm the senior partner. I can't just bunk off work." He told her.

"Um...isn't that kind of the point of having your own company?" Gia asked him.

"You're not helping." Eric said as Emma got him some cereal.

"I'm not trying to." Gia said with a smile. "I kind of like you. I want you to get better."

Mr Goodall smiled as he heard her say that. Gia had plenty of drama in her life, especially with her family right now. She wasn't quite ready to forgive her mother, and her dad...he was still at large, on the run after the abduction. The Goodall house was something of a sole point of consistency and stability for her right now. He looked to the two girls and shook his head.

"Look, I have a lot of work to get through." He stated. "It's mostly office work. If I promise to stay in the office..."

"Fine." Emma groaned, realising this was the best she was going to get. "At least...promise me you'll take the pills and get a decent meal? You can't run around on toast."

"Yes mom." He joked, opening his gun safe and fetching out his pistol. He checked the magazine had been taken out, the safety was on, and pulled back the slide to ensure the chamber was empty, before putting in a clip and clipping it into his shoulder harness. Emma just glared at him.

"And what exactly do you need that for if you're going to stay in the office?" She asked him. He just leaned over, kissing his daughter's cheek, and straightening out his jacket.

"Are both of you ready?" He asked. "I'm heading out now, if you want a lift..."

"Come on Emma." Gia told her. "It's Mr Burley's class first. We can talk to the guys about that lab work?"

"I'll just get my bag." Emma muttered, still unhappy with the fact her dad was going to work. Unfortunately, she had far too much on her plate right now to insist. She knew as soon as her back was turned, he'd just head to the office anyway. All she could do was hope he tried to keep at least some of the promises he had made to look after himself.

Meanwhile, at the school, Noah had gone in a little early, and was already in Mr Burley's lab. It wasn't uncommon that he would go in and start a little before class, he had already proven himself trustworthy enough that within reason, as long as he didn't do anything too dangerous without supervision, Mr Burley didn't even mind if he helped himself to some equipment and did a couple of experiments for his own projects.

He started working on some of the soil and plant samples his friends had taken from the field trip. Tensou was working on the remains of Hisser. However, early indications suggested that there was more to the site of the factory than they originally thought. They already knew that the site was heavily polluted, the reason Mr Burley had organised the field trip in the first place.

He began to set up his equipment when Jake walked in. He had a huge grin on his face.

"Notice something missing?" Jake asked him. "That's right, the sentence is over, the warden has finally decided I don't need an escort anymore!"

"Well, that should make things a little easier with the whole sneaking around thing." Noah commented as he started working with the lab equipment. "Maybe you'll think about that the next time you feel that temper of yours getting the better of you."

"Believe me, as good as it felt putting Dean in his place, it was so not worth it." Jake sighed. Just then, Troy came in, and some of the other kids started to arrive, filling in as the bell rang. He took a seat with them, looking out some books.

"Say, have either of you guys seen Mr Burley?" He asked them. "I just came from the parking lot, and his Kremlin isn't there."

"Um...maybe he's just running late." Gia suggested as she and Emma joined them at the work bench. "I mean, it wouldn't be the first time he forgot something and needed to head home for it."

"Yeah, that's true I guess." Noah replied. "Say, Emma was my partner, and Troy was with Jake...what about you? I thought you were working with that weird Cat girl."

"She's not that weird." Gia said protectively. "Sure, she's a little different, but she's a really nice person. Besides, she was pretty ill, she's not out of the hospital yet. I promised I'd take her the results from the test samples."

"Come to mention it, I noticed another couple of guys are missing." Jake commented.

"Say Spike, the class is looking a little empty." Troy remarked, leaning over and tapping Spike on the shoulder. "What gives?"

"Well, the field trip caused the school a lot of problems. I've heard a lot of the parents were furious about what happened. I heard some of them threatened to pull their kids out of the school, some have even threatened to sue the school."

"Things are that serious?" Gia asked him. Spike just shrugged.

"I lived in Panorama during their monster situation. A lot of people get really freaked out when they're trapped in a Ranger city." He told them. "A lot of people let panic get the better of them. They're especially critical of cops, schools...all the people they trust to keep their loved ones safe. My school got threatened with legal action a few times."

"So, how serious can it get?" Noah asked.

"Pretty serious I'd say." Spike answered as a couple of people walked in. The school principal came in, accompanied by two people none of them recognised. One of them was a tall guy, that made a lot of the girls pay attention very quickly. He was well-built, and had a long, dark pony-tail. The girl with him had ash-blonde hair, and crystal blue eyes.

"Alright class, I'm sure by now rumours have begun to circulate, I'd just like to make sure you don't let that distract you from your work." The principal began. "Mr Burley is taking some personal time, during that time we will ensure you are being overseen by suitable substitutes..."

"Personal time?" Jake asked, looking around the others. He wasn't the only one that didn't believe that for a second. Taking personal time directly after half the class had been injured while under his care? It sounded suspiciously like he didn't have a choice in the matter. It sounded more like he had been suspended, likely pending an investigation to appease the parents who had bombarded the school with complaints.

"Mr Holling, do we really need to talk about your conduct again?" The principal asked. Jake just held up his hands and backed down. He'd only just gotten through one punishment. He could live without another. "Now, in the meantime, I'd like to introduce you to a couple of substitutes that have been sent over from Panorama University. This is Mr Marshall, and Ms..."

"Please, we like to keep things informal." The woman insisted. "I'm Lauren, and this is Jeremy."

"First names?" The principal asked. Jeremy just shrugged.

"I like to keep things informal." He insisted. The principal just sighed and shook his head.

"The youth of today." He grumbled. "Well, you know where my office is if you need me."

With that, he left the two substitutes in front of a lot of staring students. After a moment, Jeremy took inspiration from the equipment on Noah's desk.

"Well, this looks interesting." He stated.

"We were meant to be testing the samples from the field trip today." Gia informed the substitute teachers. Lauren and Jeremy looked at each other and just shrugged.

"Oh, well...I guess that would be the place to start then." Lauren suggested. "Everyone get into groups and start work. If you need a hand, just let us know."

As the students started work, Lauren retreated into the corner. Jeremy just joined her.

"Um...OK, this could be going smoother." He admitted.

"You think?" Lauren asked him. "I know about as much about chemistry as I do about building a freaking space shuttle!"

"Well, that would be why Ji sent both of us." He reminded her. "Just...relax and try to look confident."

"Yeah, that's easier said than done." Lauren grumbled. "Ji owes us big time for this."

"Well, my first substitute assignment was always going to be rocky." He conceded. "At least I have some great company."

"I really hate the way you can do that." She replied. "Anyway we should probably be checking on them or something."

"I guess so." He answered, heading to one of the other tables, while Lauren checked on another group, pretending to look like she had any idea what they were doing. Jeremy just smiled. He had a feeling this little errand for Ji was going to be fun.

Meanwhile, at his office, Mr Goodall was sitting on his computer, finishing off his paperwork. He had kind of exaggerated what he had to do. One of the benefits of the way he ran his business was that he had admin staff that could handle most of the paperwork. He usually only had to read a few documents, sign the occasional contract and send the odd e-mail. He generally preferred the more active side of his business. Meeting clients, checking on his teams, analysing security systems...he was never really the kind of guy to enjoy spending his time in offices.

He had all but finished all the boring paperwork he normally let pile up until he could get one of his office staff could be coerced into doing it for him, and was bored out of his mind. It was as he opened his e-mail, staring at it blankly, that he let his mind wander.

He eventually found himself growing restless. He couldn't keep still any longer. Getting up and grabbing his jacket, he headed out of the office.

"Mr Goodall..."

"I'm heading out for the day." He interrupted his receptionist.

"Where are you going?" She asked him.

"Taking some personal time." He informed her. "Take messages."

With that, he headed out of the door. His receptionist just sighed and shook her head. It wasn't like him to just leave during the day without telling anyone where he was going. It was even less like him to simply insist she take messages. Normally, he instructed her exactly who she should take messages from, and insisted she patch through anyone else to his cell phone.

"I guess he finally learned the advantages of being the boss." She muttered.

Meanwhile, in the elevator, heading down to the parking garage, Eric tensed up. He had been sitting still far too long. He needed to get out; he needed to do something, anything. As he got to the garage, he clenched his fists as he approached his car.

Back at the school, the Rangers got together in the canteen. Gia was on her phone, talking to someone.

"Yes...yes I took notes." She insisted. "Yes, of course I'll bring them around. Just...try to get some rest."

She hung up and rolled her eyes.

"God, that girl can talk." She grumbled.

"Cat?" Emma asked her. Gia just nodded.

"Who else? She just won't quit asking me about those damned samples." Gia told them. "I mean, how many times do I have to tell her I'm bringing the notes?"

"Speaking of the samples, Tensou got back in touch with me about that snake thing." Noah informed them. "We were right; it looks like those creatures weren't Warstar after all. He told me that the DNA of the sample has been drastically altered and mutated, but that it wasn't extraterrestrial. Its base code was that of a hooded viper."

"Wait, what?" Jake asked. "You mean, that thing was a snake?"

"At one time maybe." Noah told them. "Some of the chemicals we found in the samples we took have mutagenic properties. The plant was shut down all those years ago because most of the stuff they were dumping is highly illegal for pretty good reason."

"So, you mean those things...they were normal animals?" Emma asked, looking sickened by the thought. "You mean that this was...our fault?"

"I guess in a way it kind of is." Noah answered.

"God, they aren't monsters...they're victims." Emma mumbled, hearing what they now knew. "They...they have every right to hate us."

"Emma, we all feel badly about this." Troy assured her. "But if they attack humans, if they try to hurt people, then we don't have a choice. We have a duty..."

"What about our duty to them?" Emma asked him, before getting up and leaving. Troy got up and left with her, seeing that she was clearly upset. Jake just breathed a deep sigh.

"Does anyone else remember when life was easy?" He asked them. Noah just shook his head as Gia's phone rang. She rolled her eyes as she saw that it was Cat.

"Seriously, again?" Gia complained, switching off her phone. "What is with that girl?"

"I think the more pressing matter right now is to figure out what we do if that Robo Knight shows up again." Noah replied. Just then, their morphers bleeped. Jake just glared at him.

"You had to say it didn't you?" He asked. Noah just threw up his hands and got up from the table, following his comrades out of the canteen.

In another part of the city, a mother was giving her kids a little time in a nearby play park after their play group had been let out for the day. She was just sitting, reading a book when she heard a scream. She looked up to see her terrified daughter and her son cowering on the climbing frame. She followed what they were looking at, seeing a monster approaching them slowly. It was a massive creature, green and white, with growths coming from it that looked a little like ticks. She ran over to the climbing frame, frantically trying to get her kids back, when the creature grabbed her, and threw her hard into the slide.

Her children climbed down, throwing themselves on their mother, begging and pleading with the monster to leave her alone. The monster didn't seem to care though, and continued to advance.

Just as it was almost on top of them, it was struck hard from behind, and sent falling away. It got up, looking up as the Robo Knight stood between the family and the creature.

"You...you..."

Without a word, Robo Knight broke into a run, drawing his Robo Blade as he did so. This was what he was looking for. He didn't know what this creature was, and he didn't care either. It was a threat to the Earth, which meant to him, it was just another dead monster.


	15. What the Hell Robo Knight?

The Rangers arrived in time to find the battle already well underway. The newest monster and the Robo Knight were locked in deadly combat that showed terrifying levels of rage on both sides.

Robo Knight was being held by the creature, which seemed to be trying to bite him, but he threw back his head into the creature's face, before turning, grabbing him and throwing him a significant distance. The creature rolled back to its feet, adopting a guard.

"You will pay for that!" It roared. "No one does that to Psychotick!"

"I just did." Robo Knight replied. "And I'm about to do a whole lot more!"

"Wow, that guy's...amazing!" Gia commented, seeing the injuries on the creature.

"But...its injuries, they're bleeding!" Emma shrieked in horror. They all noticed that she was right. The Warstar didn't bleed, but from what they knew of the Toxic Mutants, they did. That meant one thing, this creature, one that appeared to be modelled after a tick, at one point WAS a tick. Likely, it had been feeding off the blood of creatures already affected by the mutagens in the soil at the plant, and had become mutated that way. Either way, it was a mutant, meaning its existence was down to human negligence and carelessness. "It's one of them!"

"Check it out!" Noah stated, pointing out the young family, cowering by a climbing frame behind the Robo Knight. The mother appeared to have some form of head injury, and while conscious, didn't seem to be in any state to get her kids out of there. The kids, they were just terrified, and clinging to their mother, unable to leave her even with the fierce battle going on. The Rangers saw Psychotick powering up an energy blast.

Jake though saw Robo Knight seeing the attack coming, and rushing back to return the favour. As the power blast came, he could see by the way Robo Knight moved, he had already seen it coming, and was moving to avoid it in his advance. In all his soccer games, he had come to develop something of an instinct for movement, and where people would end up when they dedicated themselves to an action. Noah had explained it to him in long words and with a speech he didn't really get, or care about, all he knew was when he saw a defender throwing out a tackle, he seemed to know within moments where he would end up, and was already able to correct his own movements to avoid it.

He could see one problem with the scenario though. The family was directly behind Robo Knight, and directly in the path of the blast that was coming. There was no way they would move out of the way in time. Robo Knight though, didn't seem to even think of it as a factor, concentrating on his own battle. He broke into a run, launching himself into the air, and bringing up his Snake Axe, swinging for the fences, and batting aside the Power Blast as it came, surging straight for the family.

Dozens of Moogers appeared, and started to attack, causing a distraction the Rangers could ill afford. Jake got hauled back to his feet by Gia.

"Jake, are you...?"

"Get them out of here!" He called out, pointing to the family. He stood his ground, as another carelessly thrown blast headed their way. He managed to block it.

"Jake..."

"Gia, they're going to be incinerated if they stay!" He told her. "Get them out of here!"

"Hey kids, I'm just going to help your mom alright?" Noah told the terrified children as he went to help Gia. They just looked up to him.

"You...you're the Power Rangers." The boy stated. Noah just smiled and nodded.

"That's right, so you know we're here to help." Noah told him as Gia joined him. "We'll get you and your mom help, just come with us alright?"

Gia positioned herself to help lift the mother, while Noah grabbed the young boy and lifted him, while taking the girl by the hand. He waited for a break in the action at which he and Gia ran for it, taking the civilians from harm's way.

Troy, Jake and Emma meanwhile, were busy taking care of Loogies, making sure their friends had a chance to get away. Robo Knight meanwhile had his sights firmly set on Psychotick.

He ploughed through the Loogies that got in his way mercilessly, but his focus was on the venomous blight on the planet before him. Psychotick swung for him, scoring a hard hit to the side that staggered him, before grabbing him again, trying to bite him. Robo Knight clutched his wrists, and concentrated all of his power. Emma saw him from where she was fighting, beginning to power out, twisting and forcing his hands off of him.

"Get your filthy hands off me!" Robo Knight demanded in a cold fury. She heard a couple of horrendous snaps and felt sick. The Toxic Mutant was an animal, one that had been turned into this by powers beyond its control. She watched as Robo Knight threw off one hand, grabbing the other in both hands, and twisted around, causing more sharp cracking noises and a scream of pain from the creature. He brought his knee down on its elbow joint, shattering its arm, before kneeing it in the face, sending it sprawling. Emma watched on as Robo Knight started to prepare his Vulcan cannon.

She felt sick to her stomach; she couldn't comprehend the being before her. It didn't care that there were humans, a helpless mother with her kids at the site that were put in direct danger because of his actions. It didn't care what the creature it was fighting was, and felt her heart aching as she recalled what they now knew, that the Toxic Mutants were the helpless victims of human pollution. He approached, levelling his Vulcan Blaster at the creature.

"You...you serve the humans?" The creature stammered in a panic. "You stand for the ones that...?"

"I fight for the Earth." Robo Knight told him. "You're just another threat."

Hearing the blaster powering up, Emma looked and saw an Ice-Cream van coming around a corner. She realised that it would be in the direct path of the blast. Sure, Psychotick was between Robo Knight and it, but what if he missed? What if the blast was too powerful and didn't just stop at Psychotick? She ran as fast as she could, slamming into his hand, and sending the blaster upwards, messing up his aim and sending the blast harmlessly into the air.

Before either of them could respond, they were both thrown to the ground as the Earth exploded around them in a massive ball of light. The Robo Knight recovered a lot more quickly than Emma, snapping to his knees in time to see Vrak arriving, helping the injured Psychotick to his feet.

"Come with me." Vrak told him. "I have a new plan."

"My arm..."

"Just come with me!" Vrak repeated, before taking him and disappearing. Robo Knight fired off a hail of blasts, but they all missed as the two as they disappeared. Jake ran over, grabbing his hand and stopping him.

"What the HELL?" Jake screamed at him. Robo just slammed a hand into his chest, sending him staggering backwards. It rounded on Emma, standing over her in an intimidating manner.

"You saved that...THING!" It snapped, going for its weapon. The other four Rangers were quickly by her side, standing to her defence.

"Did you not see that family?" Jake asked. "They were sitting ducks! You left them exposed! That blast would have vaporised them!"

Robo Knight didn't respond, and without any form of facial expression or body language, they had no way to read how he had taken it. If anything, he seemed not to care.

"Do you know what that creature is?" Emma demanded.

"It's a threat to the Earth, that's all that matters." Robo Knight answered.

"What about the Ice-Cream van behind it that Emma stopped you blowing to Kingdom Come?" Noah asked him, coming to Emma's side defensively. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"The mission I've been assigned." He answered bluntly. "Destroying threats to the planet."

"What about those people..."

"The people are not my problem. Those creatures are." Robo Knight told them. "Do not get in my way!"

With that, he turned into his Lion Head mode and flew away. The Rangers all stood dumbfounded.

"Did...did you just see that?" Jake demanded. "He's way out of line!"

"Jake, this isn't the time or place to discuss this." Gia told him, hearing sirens. "Let's get back to the command centre. We can talk about this there."

With that, the Rangers teleported away, leaving the ruins of the Robo Knight's battle behind them.

On the Warstar ship, Psychotick was in an infirmary, getting treated. His physiology was similar to the other creatures he encountered there, but there were a lot of marked differences due to his mutated nature. Even he wasn't especially knowledgeable about his own body, it had changed so much and so alarmingly from the days he simply existed by feeding on the creatures that came to his home to graze and drink. One of the creatures was running a device over the arm Robo Knight had disabled, and while he wasn't sure what it did, he felt his pain easing, and his arm getting better.

"What...what was that thing?" Psychotick asked. "It was..."

"I believe it is a being called the Robo Knight." Vrak informed him. "It is the latest in a long line of machines the humans have developed in their campaign of hatred against the Earth."

"It was created by the humans?" Psychotick asked him. Vrak just shrugged.

"You saw how it defended them didn't you?" He asked in reply, taking advantage of the creature's confusion. The Toxic Mutants were a huge boon for him. He already knew that they were powerful, but in addition to that, the Rangers still seemed to find it difficult to find a new strategy against them. They were an unknown quantity to the Rangers. Of course, they had a very important quality to Vrak. They were gullible.

They were so full of hatred and vengeful fury that they were blinded to anything other than the vision of destroying humans. They only trusted Vrak because they could see he was clearly not human. He suspected they believed he was one of them. Despite their intellect, which was not only startlingly high, but also rapidly expanding as their mutations continued, they were largely ignorant to anything outside of their natural habitat, and so they trusted and believed in Vrak. He knew that there was a chance that eventually they would grow to the point that they realised they had been used and become a threat, but for now, they were a deadly weapon he could easily direct at his enemies.

"It...it did." Psychotick stated. "It was strong. I tried to drain its strength, I tried but..."

"Perhaps I can give you a hand with that." Vrak interrupted him. "I have noted your abilities, and it got me thinking. Why destroy the human's weapon when we can turn it against them?"

"I...I don't follow." Psychotick answered.

"The thing that fought against you is a machine, much like the ones that created the poison that turned you into this." He explained. "How would you feel if you could turn those same machines on the humans and let them poison themselves?"

"That would be possible?" Psychotick asked him.

"It would, but the Robo Knight...it is a powerful weapon as you know. First, we must weaken it." He pressed on. "Your ability...perhaps we can use that to weaken him."

"I've tried already, he is too strong..."

"How about if you didn't have to hold him?" Vrak asked him, pulling aside a curtain and showing him a device. "If you would allow me to explain, we can use this. It just requires a little trust on your part."

"Whatever it takes." Psychotick stated.

"I'm glad you feel that way." Vrak told him, placing his hands on the arm-rests of Psychotick's chair and leaning in closely. "Let me tell you what we're going to do."

Back at the school, Spike came into the science class, finding Lauren and Jeremy there. He let out a little cough to get their attention as he found that they were using one of the periods they didn't have students to their advantage.

"Sorry to interrupt." Spike told them. "The Rangers just had a battle in the park nearby; it's all over the radio."

"Really?" Lauren asked a little sheepishly, looking to her radio, which she had switched off for some privacy. She had been meant to keep tabs on things, but was a little side-tracked by the fact she and Jeremy had some time to themselves. She looked to Spike. "So...um...what happened?"

"Apparently that new guy showed up." Spike informed them. "By the sounds of things, everything went South from the word go."

"Wait, what?" Lauren asked. "You mean...?"

"No...they sent the creature packing, nothing like that!" Spike insisted, seeing her go for her Samuraizer. "But...the battle itself was kind of a mess."

"What do you mean?" Jeremy asked for clarification.

"Well...it sounds like the new guy is kind of tunnel-visioned." Spike informed them. "Apparently the other Rangers spent their whole time making sure that he and the monster didn't wipe out everyone else in the park." Spike told them. "By all accounts the place was torn to hell."

"But...they dealt with it?" Lauren asked him hopefully.

"Well, more like he did." Spike told them. "He wrecked the monster while the Rangers made sure everyone got out alive."

"Isn't that a good thing?" Jeremy asked. Lauren sighed and shook her head.

"On paper it sounds like it, but you don't know tactics like I do." Lauren told him dejectedly. Jeremy meant the world to him, she loved him dearly, and it had now been a while since they got together. She was now so certain in her heart about him and his place in her life that she had let him into her secret, that she was the head of the Shiba Clan, and one of the two Red Samurai Rangers. He understood now a little of what she had been through, and he understood some of the duties she faced. They had decided to stand aside, to allow the latest team to handle the Warstar, since they had proven themselves, but kept tabs on the situation in case they needed to return to action to help. However, a few reports suggested things were getting more dangerous, and that they might need more experienced hands to step in to help. "Having someone deal with a threat while others evacuate is a valid tactic, but it only works if the one doing the fighting keeps a mind on their surroundings. It only works if..."

"If they care that others around them are being hurt." Jeremy surmised. She just nodded.

"So, what do we know about this guy?" Lauren asked.

"Apart from the fact he has an insane amount of power for someone that doesn't care who's getting hurt, nothing." Spike admitted. "Maybe it's time that we approached them?"

"Are you sure we can risk that?" Lauren asked him. "I mean, I know they're keeping secrets too, but they're just kids."

"They're kids like me, like Emily was when she started." Spike reminded her. "You trust us, why not them?"

"Not yet, you know what's at risk." Lauren told him. "We just need to keep a closer eye on them. Maybe they'll lead us to this new guy."

"And even if they do, what then?" Jeremy asked. Lauren just showed him his Samuraizer. "What if you do figure out who this guy is, and he won't listen?"

"You know I didn't bring this for nothing." She told him. "Anyway, you should get back to class Spike."

"Hey, you think I want to see you two play tonsil hockey?" He asked as he turned away and left the room. He had a mission, one that he now had support...well...theoretically at least, for. He hated the secrecy part of the Ranger thing, but given his mom's past, he knew how important it was. All he could do was hope that he could figure out what was going on with the Rangers. The sooner they did, the sooner they could all go home.


	16. Who is Robo Knight?

After school, Gia headed to another part of town. She had shut off her phone due to Cat's constant bombardment of messages, reminding her to bring her some schoolwork so that she didn't fall too far behind while she was recovering from the attack. Gia had figured that it was best to just go and get it over with.

It wasn't too far from the apartment she had lived in with her parents until recently. It wasn't exactly a ghetto, but it was the kind of neighbourhood people tended to only live in if they couldn't afford anything else. Her dad had moved them to an apartment a couple of streets away when he was laid off from the plant, after selling their old house to free up some money. She recognised some of the stores and businesses in Cat's street, having walked by them many times, and had to think that it was odd she couldn't remember seeing Cat around before now.

She eventually found the apartment, and rang the doorbell, waiting for an answer. She stood, waiting for an answer, finding that it took a while. Eventually, the door opened, and a guy answered. He was taller than Gia, and quite heavy with it. He had brown hair and glasses, and was wearing black denims and a grey t-shirt.

"Yes?" He asked, seeing Gia standing before him. The Yellow Ranger remembered Cat saying she lived with her brother.

"Hi, I'm Gia; I go to school with Cat?" She told him. "She asked me to bring around some homework for her."

"Oh, right, of course." He replied, stepping aside. Gia was a little surprised, she had intended to just hand over the assignments and go, but being invited in, she was a little unsure since she didn't really know them, but it seemed impolite to refuse. She headed in, finding the apartment a little small, and quite cluttered. "I'm Bryan."

"Pleased to meet you." Gia answered, shaking his hand. She went into her bag and fetched out the assignments from Cat's teachers, handing them to him. "That's everything for now, how is she?"

"She's a lot better. She isn't feeling as ill." He informed her. "You can go in and see her if you like."

Before Gia could say anything, Bryan had shouted into Cat's room to let her know Gia was there, and make sure she was ready to see visitors.

"Tell her to come in." Cat called back. Bryan just gestured to the door, at which Gia headed inside.

When she got inside, Cat was sitting by her desk, doing something on her computer. She quickly shut over the laptop as Gia came in, and turned towards her, greeting her with a smile.

"Your brother said you're feeling better." Gia stated as she set down the assignments on Cat's desk. "He seems nice."

"Yeah, he's pretty great." She told Gia as she looked to her. "I'm going to see how I feel, but I should be back at school tomorrow."

"Well, here's hoping." Gia answered as she looked around the room. "Um...I should probably get going..."

"Don't you want a drink or something?" Cat rushed out. "I'm pretty sure we still have soda..."

"Thanks, but I really have a lot of stuff I have to do." Gia told her. "Well, maybe I'll see you tomorrow."

With that, she left. Cat just turned to the assignments on her desk and sighed, before getting to work.

Elsewhere, Jake was making his way home, enjoying the luxury of being able to just walk around free after a fortnight of being run to and from school by his dad every day. He couldn't quite get over how good it felt to not have a deadline he had to be home by, and being able to choose which way he went.

As he was most of the way there though, he paused as he saw something. He noticed Jordan across the street. He thought it was a little odd seeing him, remembering that Jordan was one of the kids that had taken the day off school to recover. He had been pretty badly hurt in the attack; he'd actually had to be carried to the bus. Jake couldn't really tell from this distance what his injuries were, but if he was wandering around the streets, clearly he couldn't be too badly affected now. If anything, he was seriously risking someone from the school seeing him and reporting him for truancy. Jake figured that at very least, he should know what work they were doing in class so he could have it done by the time he did decide to come back.

"Hey Jordan!" Jake called out. "Jordan!"

The other teenager didn't seem to take any notice of him; either that or he hadn't heard him. Jake just turned and carried on his way home.

Troy was on a run after school, heading into the woods, looking for somewhere to train. Like the others, he was concerned about the Robo Knight. He was a dangerous and powerful warrior, but from what they had seen, he was also reckless. He didn't seem to take any notice of what was going on around him, something that had already caused problems. It was a miracle that no one had died in the last battle.

Troy had already resigned himself to the fact that they were going to have to find him, they were going to have to try and get through to him, to stop him from being as big a danger as their enemies. He was also aware of another uncomfortable fact. If they couldn't reach him, if they couldn't get him to change his ways, then it was possible they would have no choice but to face him. They couldn't afford to let others get hurt or killed because of him.

Finding a spot, he put down his bag and started stretching off, preparing to practice. He had seen the Robo Knight in action. He knew how powerful he was. If he was going to have to take him on, he knew it would be one of his toughest battles yet.

Emma was on her way home, finding it taking a lot longer than she was used to thanks to the loss of her BMX. It would be a little while before her replacement arrived. She understood why they had to wreck it. When Creepox had attacked her, they needed to come up with a reason for her injuries so her dad wouldn't get suspicious. Although it was necessary, she still hated the fact Troy had totalled her bike to make it look like she had crashed badly.

She got to Ernie's, hoping to pick up some ice-cream. She knew her dad found her care a little wearing, and after a day of being cooped up in his office on Emma's orders, she figured he would probably appreciate a treat. As she got to the Brainfreeze though, she found something odd. The metal roller doors were down, and all the lights were out.

"Closed?" She asked curiously. "Ernie's never closed at this time?"

It was definitely a very odd decision, after school on weekdays was always one of his busiest times for business. He had to be losing a substantial amount of money by being closed. She knew he had been hurt too in the attack, and started to worry.

She headed around the back, to the door to his apartment over the store. She buzzed the intercom, hoping to check up on him to make sure he was alright. Living alone, he would have no one to take care of him if he wasn't up to it.

"Ernie?" Emma asked. "Ernie, its Emma, are you alright?"

She didn't get an answer. She buzzed again.

"Ernie?" She called out again. Just then, the door opened. Ernie stood in the doorway, with a blanket bundled around himself. He looked decidedly ill.

"Ernie, are you alright?" She asked him.

"I wasn't up to opening the store today." He told her, heavily favouring his right leg. His left had been badly hurt in the attack.

"Do you need anything?" Emma asked him. "I can come in and..."

"No, thank you that will be alright." He assured her. "I appreciate the offer, but I am certain I will be fine if I rest."

"Are you sure? I could always..."

"I will be fine." Ernie reiterated. "Thank you for your concern. I am sure you have work to do, so perhaps you should be on your way."

As he closed the door behind him, Emma just looked a little worried. She could never remember Ernie being sick, certainly never ill enough to take a day off work. She promised herself to come back the following day to check up on him, and headed for home, disappointed that she would have to get her dad's ice-cream at the store. It wasn't the same as one of Ernie's creations, but it would have to do.

At the Command Centre, Noah was with Tensou, working away on something.

"Noah, you seem distracted." Tensou stated. "Are you alright?"

"I don't know what..." He was saying, when suddenly there was a spark, and a puff of smoke from the circuit he was working on. He just sighed as he realised he had just destroyed it by virtue of not paying enough attention to what he was doing. "Alright, I guess my mind's somewhere else."

"The Robo Knight by any chance?" Tensou asked him. Noah just nodded.

"You saw what happened. He doesn't care about anything other than the monsters he's fighting." Noah told him. "We've had two battles, and both times he just about levelled everything in the area!"

"Noah..."

"And what's worse is there's a person in there!" Noah stated. "That means there's a person out there walking around like a living nuke that doesn't care what gets destroyed."

"That's not necessarily the case. The host probably isn't even in control of the armour." Tensou told him.

"But you said..."

"The point of having a human in the armour was to give it a conscience, yes, but it takes time for the armour and the host to synchronise." Tensou told him. "The armour's lain dormant without a user for centuries. It now has a new owner, one that it isn't used to, one that it isn't yet ready to allow access to its controls, it's running on basic programming."

"Wait, so you mean...?"

"It runs purely on its primary directive to destroy threats to the Earth." Tensou informed him. "It takes a lot of mental strength and discipline for the user to attain the control. Until the user can convince the armour that he's worthy of its power, the armour takes over."

"And if the user can't convince the armour to let him take the wheel?" Noah asked him.

"Then the Robo Knight will keep running on its primary directive." Tensou reiterated. Noah just sighed and shook his head. This was a disaster. They had no idea who the vessel was, much less whether or not he would be able to wrest control from the Robo Knight's processor. It was possible the host wasn't even aware that he HAD to fight for control. It was possible the host would believe that the armour simply took over against their will.

"OK, so back to the beginning. We need to figure out who this guy is." Noah stated. "So, where was this thing buried?"

"All we know is that it was buried somewhere in the area." Tensou stated. "It would have to be somewhere that was really in danger to get its CPU to activate. It would need to feel like the site was a danger."

"Well, that narrows it down to...oh...the whole city!" Noah groaned. "Well, it showed up this weekend, so it seems likely it was only activated around then. Maybe we can look for power surges from that day, maybe that will tell us where it was switched on."

Tensou pulled up a map of the city, and backdated it to the day of the Robo Knight's first appearance. A couple of power surges showed up, but most of them had perfectly reasonable explanations, all except for one. Noah zoomed in.

"That...that's the factory!" He stated. "It's been closed for months, there's no power there."

"The site's heavily polluted; the Robo Knight could easily have decided that it was a threat to the planet, especially once the mutants showed themselves." Tensou told him. "All it would have needed is for someone to come close enough to attach itself to."

"Well, the waste kept everyone away; no one would have wanted to go near that site..." Noah stated. "Until...that was the day of the field trip!"

"The field trip?" Tensou asked him.

"The site would have been deserted for ages, and then we all showed up and started digging around...maybe someone found it by accident!" He yelled in a panic. "Tensou, there was a whole class full of kids, and three adults out there! Anyone could have found it!"

"Do you mean...?"

"I mean the Robo Knight isn't just anybody." Noah concluded. "It's someone we know! Someone that went on that field trip is the Robo Knight!"

Mr Goodall got home, and pulled into the driveway. He got out of the car, clutching his ribs. He had aggravated his injury, a couple of stitches had popped, and his side was in agony. He made his way into the house, and shut the door behind him, heading to the bathroom.

He looked down, seeing that his shirt was stained with blood from when the wound in his side had re-opened. He hissed in pain as he pulled off his shirt, checking on it.

He had promised Emma he would stay at the office; he had promised he wouldn't do anything that would cause him to risk hurting himself more. He knew that she would be upset if she knew. He got some wipes from the first aid kit and cleaned up a little so he could get a better look at it. Fortunately, the wound had stopped bleeding, and only a couple of stitches had popped. Most of it was still intact. Getting a dressing and some tape, he applied a dressing tightly to support it, preventing it from coming apart any further.

He took a couple of painkillers, and washed them down quickly with some water, before placing his shirt in the washing hamper. He took care to shove it down deeply so that neither of the girls would see a blood stained shirt and worry. He headed to his room and got changed into a jersey, and a pair of sweat pants. He had just finished getting changed when he heard the door.

"Dad?" Emma called out. He started to come down the stairs, carrying his gun with him. He saw her carrying a tub of ice-cream. He smiled as he saw this, unloading his pistol, and opening his gun-safe, putting it away.

"Well, this is a surprise." He stated. "I thought you wanted me to take care of myself."

"I figured you deserved a little treat." Emma told him. "I hope your day at the office wasn't too boring."

"I managed to keep myself entertained." He stated. "Thank God for online Sudoku's."

"Well, just try to take it easy. You heard what the doctor said." She reiterated, hugging him. Eric was glad she didn't see the look on his face as she did this. His ribs hurt, and the last thing he wanted was for Emma to feel guilty for hurting him.

"I will." He promised her. "Now, how about we get a couple of bowls..."

"Not until you've had a healthy dinner!" Emma put down flatly, taking the Ice-cream away. "I'll get started on dinner."

As Emma headed to the kitchen, Gia came in a little behind her. Eric looked to her and smiled.

"So, how was school?" He asked her.

"It's really horrible. They've suspended Mr Burley." She informed him. "Apparently a lot of parents complained about him."

"Well, I can understand why." Eric stated. He saw Gia looking at him, horrified by the statement. "Hey, I was there, I know it wasn't his fault, but you have to understand a lot of parents weren't as lucky as us. Some of those kids were really badly hurt."

"Not to mention some of the adults!" Emma called back from the kitchen. "Ernie's was closed today."

"I'm not saying it's right, but when things like this happen, sometimes people just look for someone to blame, they want someone to pay for it." He told them.

"But it wasn't his fault, he couldn't have known about those monsters!" Gia protested. He just sighed.

"I know, and I agree with you." Mr Goodall stated. "It's just...I just don't want you to be too disappointed if this doesn't end well."

"You mean...?"

"If he has been suspended, and they are conducting an investigation, then it's likely there'll be an investigation." He told her. "If the PTA decides that he was negligent in his duty of care, then he'll probably be fired."

"That's horrible, you can't let that happen!" Gia protested. Mr Goodall just sighed.

"If they call a meeting, I'll speak in his defence. I don't know if it'll save him, but it can't hurt his chances." He told his girls. "Until then, all we can do is hope for the best and wait for the meeting."


	17. Knee-Jerk Reactions

The following day, Noah made his way to school, feeling a certain sense of apprehension. Like the others, like his friends and fellow Rangers, he was concerned about the new factors in the war they had to face. The Toxic Mutants were an unknown and deadly force. Another troubling part about them was that they now knew what they really were. They were animals that had been tainted and mutated by years of pollution. They were victims of circumstance, but those same circumstances had also placed them in the situation of being a threat to the Rangers, and to the world. While their rage was understandable, and in some ways justified, they were powerful creatures that had no qualms about attacking and yes, even killing in their fury. The fact that now, they had been seen with Vrak on two separate occasions now meant that there was no doubt that they were aligning themselves with the Warstar. There was little choice, they were now enemies, and had to be stopped, regardless of how the Rangers felt about what had happened to them.

The other unknown quantity was the Robo Knight; an ancient weapon that had been de-commissioned centuries ago had now re-activated itself to protect the Earth. Unfortunately, from the two battles the Rangers had seen, his interpretation of 'protecting the Earth' had a lot of leeway for collateral damage. He seemed to concentrate purely on eliminating his foes, with little regard for what effect it had on others. In his first battle, he had done nothing while the Toxic Mutant's first blast had laid waste to a gas station, which had ended up taking most of the street with it. He had actively avoided a blast with no concern for the fact that while he had armour that would likely have saved him, there was an innocent family behind him who would have been obliterated if it wasn't for Jake's intervention.

He, more than the others, understood the Robo Knight, since Tensou had explained what it was. It was currently running purely on its primary objective, but with a machine's logic. The kind of logic which stated a clock which had stopped was preferable to a clock that was an hour slow because it was correct twice a day as opposed to always an hour incorrect. It only concerned itself with destroying its targets, not with what got damaged or who got hurt in the process. The machine was currently in control of its host, meaning that it would never show compassion or consideration for the pain of others. It would always mercilessly and pitilessly destroy anything in its path, and if what it had said the last time they saw it was anything to go by, that possibly included the Rangers themselves if it decided they were interfering with its mission.

As far as he knew, the host was a helpless victim; a passenger simply along for the ride while the Robo Knight laid waste to everything in its path. Now though, he had figured out something he had to prepare the others for. While they knew that the Robo Knight had a living person inside it, he had now discovered something that made that knowledge even more terrifying. It was someone they knew, someone that they saw every day. It had awakened on the day of the field trip, meaning that it was one of the people that had gone with them on that day.

He found Jake, who was talking to Troy. He approached them, checking around to see if anyone was in earshot, before speaking.

"Hey Noah, what...?"

"Have either of you seen the girls?" Noah asked. The two just looked at each other and shrugged.

"Not yet, but they should be here..."

"We need to talk, it's about..." He pressed on, before getting a little quieter. "It's about our metal friend. I think I have a lead on who he is."

"Are...are you serious?" Jake asked him. "You know who...?"

"No, but I have narrowed down the list of suspects." He stated as he pulled out his I-phone, showing them the readings he had taken. "There was a massive power spike at the factory on the day of the field trip. That place has been closed for ages, there's nothing in there that would cause this kind of power surge."

"The Robo Knight showed up after that." Jake said, seeing where Noah was going with this. "You mean...?"

"I think the Robo Knight tech was buried somewhere on that site." He told them. "That site was abandoned for ages, so it never got access to a human to bond with."

"You mean that...one of us awakened it?" Troy asked him. Noah just nodded.

"I think someone on that field trip found it by accident." Noah replied. "Tensou told me that until the host can figure out how to control it, the Robo Knight tech regresses to its primary objective, destroy any creature attacking the Earth. The host isn't to blame for this, they probably can't control what its doing."

"So...they're a victim too." Jake surmised. "Troy, we can't..."

"I don't want to do this either, but it's too dangerous to just let that thing run around unchecked." He stated. "We'll do everything we can to solve this in any other way, but if push comes to shove, we might have to destroy it, even if we don't want to."

At another part of the campus, Gia and Emma were dropped off by Mr Goodall on his way to the office. Emma really hoped that her new BMX would be delivered soon, since she was missing riding dearly. As they started to make their way towards the school, the air was split with a huge, high-pitched voice screaming out.

"Hey Gia!" Someone called out. Gia rolled her eyes.

"What?" Emma asked.

"It's my shadow." Gia grumbled, turning and smiling as she saw Cat running over. "Hey, you seem a lot brighter."

"Yeah, I got a lot better overnight. I feel great today." She stated, looking up to Gia. "I looked at those results you got for me, those samples were really interesting."

"Yeah, I guess they were, in a really icky, toxic, deathly lethal kind of way." Gia answered. "Um...We've really got something to..."

"Oh." Cat replied, looking between Emma and Gia with kind of a dull, disappointed look on her face. "Um...kay kay, I guess I'll see you in class?"

As she left, Gia just groaned.

"What is it with that girl?" She complained. "I buddied up with her for one assignment and she's just...ugh!"

"She does seem pretty full on." Emma agreed. "I've seen her around, but I don't think I've ever really talked to her. She just seemed pretty weird...and if I can say that, that's saying something."

"Well, maybe she'll find someone else to cling onto like a limpet." Gia suggested as they arrived. They got there, just in time to hear an announcement over the PA system.

"All students are required to assemble in the auditorium for an immediate, compulsory assembly." The Principal's voice stated. Gia and Emma just looked at each other and shrugged.

"Today was Maths first period." Emma commented. "I guess things are looking up today."

In the science class, Lauren and Jeremy were discussing something when Spike came in. They too were looking for the Robo Knight, identifying him as an unknown quantity, and a potential threat if he couldn't be brought under control. Spike approached them.

"The principal called..."

"We're not deaf Spike, we heard." Jeremy told him. "Any luck with the others?"

"They're a pretty closed group as of late." He commented. "I can't really say I blame them. A lot's been going on."

"They're just kids." Lauren sighed. "At least our team were a bit older."

"Not that much older." Spike corrected her. "Remember, Emily was still in High School when she got called up."

"What about the new guy?" Lauren asked him. "Is anyone acting any differently?"

"It's hard to tell, I've only been here a couple of weeks." Spike reminded her. "Besides, everyone's acting differently, the whole city's kind of in the middle of a war."

"He has a point." Jeremy agreed.

"Well, we need to make sure they can handle this, things are becoming a real mess here." Lauren told them. "If we need to help or...or even take over..."

"Whoa, let's not jump the gun here." Jeremy told her. "In case you'd forgotten, your own team isn't exactly battle-ready; they've got their own stuff to deal with."

"They're Samurai..."

"Antonio's restaurant only opened last month, he can't exactly just go running off now." Spike told her. "Ji...his arm's still all screwed up, and Terri isn't even potty trained."

"So we do without a Gold and Black." Lauren stated. "We did do that at one time remember?"

"Well what about the others?" He asked. "Terry's only just getting back into his studies and in case you forgot, his wife Serena is kind of pregnant with Emily and Mike's kid."

"Not to mention I doubt Mike, Kevin or Emily are going to be exactly thrilled with being ripped away while they're getting ready for their kids arriving." Spike stated.

"The Samurai left their families before, it's kind of part of the whole deal." Lauren reminded them. "I don't want to ask it of them either, but this team is looking like they're getting in a lot of trouble. Maybe we need to look at installing someone with some experience."

"Lauren, it's natural to feel that way, I know it got to you that you didn't have the same involvement as the others." Jeremy told his girlfriend softly as he started to caress her face with his hand. "But they've managed up until now, and they don't even have the support network your team had. Ji had contacts all over the place that helped out. Your parents all knew what you were getting into and supported you. They're pretty much doing this alone. No one even knows who they are."

"Um...that's actually another little problem we have." Lauren told them. She went to her laptop and pulled up a page, letting them see it. "I found this when I was doing some random searching..."

"You've got to be kidding me." Spike gasped. Jeremy just looked to her.

"They have fanfiction?" He asked. Lauren just nodded.

"That's not exactly anything new; our team had tons of websites dedicated to us." She stated. Spike just rolled his eyes.

"God, don't remind me." He whined. "I'll still never live down that Facebook page I made for Mia."

"That isn't the only thing." She told them. "There's one author in particular who is writing about them being students at this school."

"Uh...OK?" Spike added. "So? People always fanaticise..."

"Whoever it is has the identities right." Lauren interrupted him. "Whoever's writing it has somehow managed to correctly name all five of the current team."

"Shit." Jeremy muttered. "Um...still, its fanfiction right? No one's going to believe that!"

"Hey, I've met guys that believe JFK is responsible for his OWN assassination." Spike stated. "Sure, it might not be a story everyone believes, but if enough people start checking it out and noticing things about them..."

"This city's in deep trouble, and right now, we have a bunch of kids that don't know how deep they're in running the show." Lauren interrupted him as they prepared to head to the assembly hall. "We need to get to the assembly, but this is not looking good."

Meanwhile, in the assembly hall, the Rangers had found some seats, and were discussing recent events while the rest of the students took their time to get settled. An assembly meant they would miss their first lesson, and if it ran on long enough, might even put paid to the second, taking them straight to recess. The kids all knew this, and so were in no hurry to get settled and ready for the assembly to begin. This meant that with all the chaos going on, the Rangers could pretty much talk openly without anyone really paying enough attention to care what they were talking about.

"So...you're saying it was someone on the field trip?" Gia asked. Noah just nodded.

"Well, it can't be one of us." Jake stated. "We were all there at both battles he was involved in. We know it isn't one of us."

"That still doesn't narrow it down much." Troy reminded them. "There were fifteen kids and three adults on that field trip. Discounting us, that narrows it down to thirteen suspects."

"Well, twelve." Jake stated. "I mean...no offence, but Ernie's kind of...um...would he really fit into the armour?"

They all knew what he was getting at. He, like all of them, really liked Ernie, so he really didn't want to say out loud that his reason for dismissing the idea of him being the Robo Knight was that he was a little too...large around the middle...to be the same build as the Robo Knight.

"Um...Jake?" Noah began. "We saw him turn into an eighty foot Zord. I don't think the standard laws of physics really apply here."

"There's not even any guarantee it's a guy." Emma stated. They all stared at her. "What? This isn't a feminist thing, I'm just saying!"

"Hey, they're starting." Troy told them, pointing to the front. As the principal stepped up to the podium, the students started to settle down. They could see that he didn't appear to be in a mood to be messed with.

"This assembly has been called as something of a form of rumour control. Rumours are venomous things that can corrupt even the strongest of organisations, as such; I have felt it prudent to ensure you are all aware of the facts that concern you." He began. "As many of you know, there was a recent trip off school grounds, which ended in a regrettable incident in which a number of students were hurt. Fortunately, no one was hurt too seriously, and all injured parties are now back at school."

"Regrettable incident?" Jake chuckled. "That's one way to describe a couple of mutants attacking a class full of kids."

"...As is procedure, the teacher involved is currently on a suspension on full pay, pending an inquiry to decide whether or not any further action is required." The principal continued. The Rangers had missed part of what he had said. "In addition, for the safety of all students, a number of measures are being introduced to ensure the safety of the students during school hours. For starters, all field trips have hereby been cancelled until further notice."

There were numerous cries of protest from the students at this announcement. A few classes had trips in mind. The History department had intended to take many of the students to a nearby museum for a lecture by the notes Archaeologist Dr Andrew Hartford. None of the students seemed especially happy to hear that trips they had been looking forward to for weeks were now being cancelled.

"All sports teams travelling to other schools to compete will be escorted to and from those schools by school transport only." He continued, ignoring the tirade. "In addition, no student will be permitted to leave school grounds for any reason during the school day."

This got even more protests, and even a few pieces of paper thrown onto the stage. Most of the school took the opportunity at lunch time to go off campus for something to eat other than the at best questionable, and at worst outright inedible food from the canteen. Those in higher years who had study periods often chose to go home or to the larger library in the centre of town to study in peace. No one liked the sound of being forced to remain on school grounds all day if they didn't need to be.

"Silence!" He called out. "You are all required to sign in at the beginning of the day, and sign out again at the end. No one will be allowed to leave the school grounds unescorted for any reason!"

The students were far from happy, but quietened down, knowing that the Principal was a stern man, who would think nothing of punishing anyone who questioned him. It was most definitely a knee-jerk reaction caused by what they all knew had to be incredible pressure from parents, and possibly even a sense of self-preservation since anything that happened with the school and his staff was ultimately his responsibility, meaning there had to be some calling for HIS removal from his job.

"Finally, in order to facilitate this, I have decided to institute a practice that was in place in my High School, Ironside Academy. I am introducing the position of prefect." He informed them. Ironside Academy was a prestigious, and somewhat notorious boarding school, attended by many children from well-to-do families. Their uncompromising attitude to discipline and academia meant that they had a well-deserved reputation for turning out the future leaders of the country. Over ninety percent of their students ended up in the Ivy League, and more than one senator or congressman were former alumni.

A prefect, in effect, was sort of a student enforcer of the school rules. A student police force so to speak. They would be given the responsibility to observe the conduct of students, and correct their behaviour. Often, this would require a mere word, or possibly taking them to a teacher or student advisor for disciplinary action. Unfortunately, to the students, it sounded like something else entirely. Namely, it sounded like they would be watched over by spies for the teachers.

"Any student wishing to become a prefect is welcome to apply by coming to my office in your own time for assessment." He concluded. "Now, go to your classes. You are dismissed."

As they all got up to go, Gia noticed something falling on the ground. She furrowed her brows seeing it. It looked a little like a comic book, but not one she recognised. As she picked it up, she saw that the main characters were the Megaforce Rangers.

"Hey, check this out." She stated, showing it to Emma.

"It's not professionally printed; it looks like it was done on one of the school printers." She remarked. "It's pretty good too by the looks..."

"Um...OK, that could be a problem." Gia commented as they looked at one of the pictures. It showed the Red Ranger changing in a flash of light. In the next frame, it was a picture...one that very strongly resembled..."

"Is that...is that meant to be me?" Gia asked. Emma just nodded her head. The artist was indeed gifted; it was obvious who the character was modelled after.

"Um...check out the others." Emma told her. "Me, Noah, Jake, Troy...someone's drawing us as the Power Rangers!"


	18. Dangerous Art

The Rangers had no choice but to assemble in the school canteen by the time lunchtime rolled around. Given the new school policy that had been put in place as a knee-jerk reaction to the fiasco that was the field-trip, no one was allowed to leave the school grounds. While it would likely take a few days for the teachers to appoint prefects, some teachers were stationed at the gates to make sure none of the students tried to disobey the principal's edict. Doubtless some would try out of protest, but the Rangers already knew they would have no choice but to leave the grounds if they were called on to fight. It was best not to press their luck by taking more chances than they needed to.

Noah wrinkled his nose in disgust and pushed the, and he used the term loosely, 'food', around on his plate. They had told him it was lamb stew, but it had an appearance that was more akin to something he would expect to find on the ground at a sheep farm. The gravy was thin and watery, and there was nothing on the plate that looked remotely like something he had any desire to put in his mouth.

"Come on Noah, you have to eat." Emma told him.

"If I thought it'd stay down I'd love to." He grumbled, pushing his tray away. "I was totally looking forward to a meatball marinara sub."

"Well, unless things change soon, we don't really have much choice in the matter." Troy reminded him, tossing him an apple. "I bring my own food anyway. It's one of the only ways I can guarantee my diet."

"Dude, you take the training thing way too seriously." Jake chuckled, shaking his head. "Even professional athletes can have a pizza once in a while."

"So says the guy that has to have a special meal made for him by state law." Noah grumbled, gesturing to Jake's surprisingly appetising looking macaroni cheese. Jake just shrugged.

"It's just one of the benefits of being Jewish." He stated. "They have to provide me with a meal that's Kosher."

Just then, the girls arrived. Gia and Emma both looked a little worried.

"Guys, I think we have a problem." Emma began. Jake just laughed.

"Wow, only one?" He asked. "I can't remember the last time life was easy."

"I'm serious." Emma told him. Gia set down the comic in front of them. Noah saw the pictures and gasped as he saw their images in print. He snatched it away.

"What the hell?" Noah asked as he gazed at it. He saw an image of himself morphing into the Yellow Ranger. "Emma, where did you get this?"

"I found it at the assembly." Emma informed him. "Gia did some checking up online in computer sciences. It seems there's a whole bunch of fanfiction and web comics dedicated to us."

"Yeah, but...dedicated to the Rangers." Jake stated, only for Gia to shake her head.

"Most of it is, but there's an author out there that's doing a whole load of work with US as the Rangers." She told them. "We're named...they even use pictures of us!"

"Someone knows about us?" Troy asked.

"I'm...I'm not sure." Emma told him. "They've got most of the colours wrong; Troy's the blue Ranger, Noah's Yellow..."

"I'm Red." Gia said with a little smile. "I'm the leader."

"Not to be sexist or anything, but when has there ever been a girl Red Ranger?" Noah asked her. "Besides, does the artist not get the skirt thing? Why the hell am I Yellow?"

"And what's wrong with Yellow?" Gia demanded.

"I think we're missing the point here." Troy interrupted them sharply, taking the comic from Noah. "Some of the details might be mixed up, but whoever's writing this stuff is getting pretty close for comfort to the truth."

"Maybe it wouldn't be a bad thing to come clean?" Jake suggested. The others just looked at him dumbfounded. "What? I was grounded, Emma had to have her bike wrecked to cover for her injuries...maybe if people knew they would...you know...cut us some slack?"

"That or blame us for everything that's going on." Noah shot back. "We can't save everyone; there are a ton of people that have been hurt in the war."

"It's in people's nature to look for someone to blame when bad things happen. Look at what's happening to Mr Burley." Troy stated with authority. "They can't exactly blame the monsters we've destroyed, so who do you really think they'll blame?"

"But we're the ones trying to help!" Jake stated.

"Kayfabe." Gia said quietly as she saw someone approaching. The Rangers had become somewhat accustomed to having conversations in public that they had to keep discreet. Noah, who happened to be a huge fan of pro wrestling had told them about the concept of kayfabe. It was Carny speak, dating back to the late nineteenth century when carnival wrestlers figured out that by arranging their matches and making gentleman's agreements what moves they would perform on each other that they could reduce injuries and as a result participate in more matches meaning they earned more money.

It was the beginning of staged professional wrestling, but at the time was essentially a form of fraud since the audience and the carnival owners still believed the bouts to be legitimate. Kayfabe was pig-Latin for "be fake", and would be said as a warning when someone who was not in on the act approached so that no one other than the wrestlers would hear them planning out their matches. It was a vague enough reference that the Rangers had adopted it themselves as a warning whenever someone who wasn't one of them was coming within earshot.

It was Spike, who was looking around for somewhere to sit with little success. Normally it wouldn't have been an issue. Most of the students generally went home or to the mall at lunch time, but now that they were forbidden from doing so, people were quickly realising that the cafeteria was woefully unfit for its purpose. In terms of tables and chairs alone there was nowhere near enough room for all the students.

"Um...sorry but the place is kind of packed." Spike said as he gestured to the table. "Mind if I...?"

"Sure." Jake sighed, as he and Emma made some room. Even though he could get the tray down on the round table, it was still a tight squeeze, and he still didn't have a chair, forcing him to take a knee at the table. "Sorry about the state of the food..."

"Hey, I've had worse." Spike replied with a shrug. He noticed something just under Noah's bag, some brightly coloured paper and figured it was a comic book. He reached across and snatched it before he could be stopped, seeing it was one of the works of fiction Lauren had shown him. It did indeed show the group as the Rangers.

"Spike..."

"Say, this is pretty good." He stated. "Did one of you draw this?"

"No, why would we...?" Noah started to answer, but he felt Emma kick him under the table. A thought occurred to her. If they claimed that it was them that made it, if they claimed it was a work of fiction they created, then perhaps it would allay some measure of suspicion. It would be seen more as an exercise in ego and arrogance than any form of reality. After all, who wouldn't want to be a super hero if they could, even if it was only in print.

"So...is it one of you?" Spike asked them again.

"No, I'm afraid not." Troy stated, figuring that if they DID claim it was one of them, then he would only ask them to confirm it by drawing something in front of him. While Emma was quite artistically inclined, and he had seen her do some very impressive nature sketches, he knew that different artists' styles varied drastically. She would have the best chance out of all of them, but he couldn't guarantee she would be able to convincingly recreate the comic. "We would like to find out who it is though."

"Yeah, it's someone named..." Noah began as he looked at the signature. "Rotekatze2013."

"I guess it is kind of flattering that someone sees you as a superhero." Spike stated. "I always dreamed of becoming a Ranger. My mom and dad were from Angel Grove, and I live in Panorama City. It's kind of hard not to fantasize about what it would be like."

"I guess it would be hard to imagine." Troy answered.

"I mean, I guess there are loads of people trying to figure out who the Rangers are." Spike stated, looking around the group. "My dad and my Uncle spent most of senior year trying to figure out who the Angel Grove Rangers were. I know there were a ton of conspiracy theories in Panorama about who the Samurai Rangers were."

He noted the way the group all looked around each other. Without revealing what he knew, he was trying to subtly guide them to the conclusion that they needed to tread carefully. While he suspected as they did that the stories being published online were purely coincidence, the fact was that people were now going to be paying a lot more attention to the actions of the students of Harwood County High School. If they were to keep their identities secret, then they would need to be a lot more careful than they had been up until now.

"Ugh, what the hell is this?" Spike complained as he spat out a mouthful of the disgusting stew.

"It's meant to be lamb." Jake said with a cocky little smile, finishing his macaroni.

"And he has macaroni because...?"

"Jake's Jewish." Noah informed him. "He has to eat Kosher."

"Mal always told me that was an advantage." Spike muttered as he got up, throwing his dinner into the bin. "Maybe I should consider converting."

Just then, they heard a commotion. One of the other tables was beginning to act up. With all the students forced into such close proximity and with nerves fraying, it was only a matter of time before tempers flared.

"You clumsy little idiot!" A student roared as he got up. Given the stains on his clothes it looked like someone had accidentally spilled something on him. Gia saw that it was Cat the guy was shouting at.

"I...I'm sorry." She stammered. "I tripped, it was an accident..."

The guy grabbed her plate from her and dumped the contents all over her. Cat let out a little squeal as he did this.

"Sorry, it was an accident." He mocked her. Before the Rangers could intervene, he was turned around aggressively, coming face-to-face, or more accurately face-to-somewhere-in-the-middle-of-his-chest with Dirk.

"Leave her alone." Dirk warned him, shoving him into the table. "It was an accident, this place is packed, she clearly tripped. She didn't mean it, now apologise!"

"Oh, and what if I don't?" He asked as a couple of his friends got up.

"We'll make you!" Calvin answered as he and Jordan stepped in on Dirk's side. The room was too crowded, and the students were becoming restless seeing the action. The whole situation was a powder keg; all it needed was a spark, one that was lit very soon afterwards as a student, eager to see action, threw some stew which struck Dirk square in the face.

In a rage, both sides fell upon each other, turning the canteen into a riot in seconds. Some students joined in, most ducked for cover or tried to run while the staff tried to restore order. As the Rangers gathered their things and left, seeking escape from the brawl erupting in the canteen, Troy stopped for a moment. Emma saw this and grabbed his arm.

"Troy." She called out. "Troy, come on!"

"Give me a second." He told her.

"Troy, if we don't go we'll get dragged into the middle of this." She insisted. Troy took a moment to watch what was happening, seeing the staff starting to get things under control, before nodding in agreement and going with her. He was sure that sticking around would only lead to trouble.

The Rangers stopped a little way from the canteen, gathering in the hallway.

"Just when I thought this place couldn't get any worse." Jake complained. "This sucks!"

"Well it's not going to get much better unless we do something about it." Troy stated. "Noah, I want you to find this Rotekatze2013."

"What?" He asked. "Troy..."

"We can't do much about Mr Burley, so we have to concentrate on the stuff we can figure out." He told them. "Noah, you're good with computers, and all the stuff that says we're the Rangers is published by Rotekatze2013. If you find them, maybe we can figure out why they're publishing this stuff."

"What then?" Gia asked. "I mean, if we try to get them to stop, won't that just confirm what they're saying is true?"

"Apart from me cross-dressing of course." Noah complained. They all just stared at him. "The Yellow suit has a skirt for God's sake!"

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Just find them first." He told them.

"I'll help." Gia told him.

"Fine, whatever." Troy stated. "Emma, you and Jake come with me. I think I've got an idea."

"About what?" Jake asked him.

"I think I might know how to figure out who the Robo Knight is." Troy told them.

Meanwhile, on the Warstar ship, Psychotick rose from his bed. They had used their technology to heal his wounds to return him to battle following his retreat, but it still took him some time. He checked his arm, which had been shattered, and just short of ripped off by the Robo Knight in their previous battle.

"I was wondering when you'd be back on your feet." Vrak commented.

"That abomination took a great toll on me." Psychotick responded.

"Well, just think. You know what it did to you, so just think what it can do to our enemies when we turn it against them." Vrak said in a casual drawl. "I have studied your energy draining powers, and believe I have replicated its effects with technology."

He showed Psychotick a cage in the corner, which had a metal image of a tick welded above the front.

"If we imprison the Robo Knight within this cage, we can drain his power until he will be unable to resist." Vrak explained. "Then, it will be a simple matter to alter his view and turn him on the humans he serves."

"That's all well and good." Psychotick spat angrily. "But how exactly do we get him to come into the open so we can capture him in your cage?"

"That's simple." Vrak said with a sly little smile. "Just do what you do best. Cause some harm. Destroy, maim, cause misery. If you attack his precious city, it will only be a matter of time before he shows up to aid his human masters."

"With pleasure." Psychotick replied with a hint of glee in his voice, preparing for the mission to come.

Back at Harwood County High School, Noah and Gia were busy in the computer lab chasing up details on the author that was dangerously close to exposing them as Power Rangers. Just typing in the name Rotekatze2013 uncovered a huge back log of work. Whoever was creating this work had been very busy indeed. They were averaging either a chapter of a fanfiction or a full comic strip every day practically since the Rangers had shown up.

"Well, whoever this is, they're dedicated, I'll give them that much." Gia sighed.

"Wait...this is interesting." Noah replied as he found something. "There's a link here to a profile on the Harwood Social Hub?"

"Your web site?" Gia asked.

"They didn't fill out any of the personal information thought." He replied. "They also tried pretty hard to hide their IP address to avoid...OK, now I see why."

He pointed to another link on the page.

"The Harwood Flagship." Gia stated. It was a website that she had only become aware of in the wake of the Dean situation. It was a site that was set up for gay and bisexual students at Harwood County High to discuss their problems and concerns. Most of the students on the site used pseudonyms and took many precautions to keep their true identities a secret. Most of them were not yet ready to come out of the closet. The same profile was linked across both sites, and had direct links to the artwork.

"Whoever's doing this is..." Gia's words tailed off and she just smacked her forehead with her palm.

"What?" He asked.

"I'm such an idiot." She stated, shaking her head and smiling a little. She started to gather up her belongings.

"Wait, where are you going?" Noah asked her.

"Trust me." She replied, patting him on the shoulder. "I've got this."


	19. Psychotick's Return

The long, and wearing day was mercifully coming to an end at last. The brawl in the canteen had by far been the worst incident since the Principal's announcement of his new measures to keep the students safe, but all through the day, it was clear that it wasn't going to be the end of it, not by a long shot. Throughout the rest of the day, there was always an underlying tension as tempers bubbled under the surface. There were a couple of grumbles, and some exchanged words, and even a couple of sly pushes as students got through the day, but fortunately it didn't break into anything more serious.

As the bell finally rang, the students felt an overwhelming relief. Although they knew they would be coming back to exactly the same thing tomorrow, and possibly more restrictions if the Principal's reaction to the brawl in the canteen was anything to go by. He had to, by law, see to it that any of the students that were hurt got to see the school nurse since they were under his care, but he didn't need to make them comfortable, or give anyone exception from his blanket ban on leaving the grounds. He hadn't allowed any of the students involved to even go home to get changed or cleaned up, meaning that some of the students were forced to finish out the day in clothing stained with food that had been thrown around, during the fight. Needless to say, this did nothing to ease their already frayed tempers.

When they got into the halls, the staff were already lining the halls to make sure the kids left without incident. Once they were off school grounds, pretty much they were the city's problem. Still, there had been a rumour going around that the Principal wanted to call all the students' parents and refuse to let them leave until someone came to let them go home. It was, a rumour, but given his attitude to the students, one that did sound plausible. The only thing that really stopped him was that some of his older students were not exactly kids. The few seniors over 18 were legally adults, so he couldn't keep them against their will by law, and without parental consent, he couldn't really justify keeping the rest. In short, he had no alternative but to let them go, he could only hope to see they got off the grounds safely.

Gia was gathering up some things when the others came over to her. She had just finished packing up her bag when she noticed them.

"Well, that was a pleasant day." Jake said sarcastically. "Can you guys believe the way the staff have been frog-marching us around all day?"

"To be honest, I think they're about as happy with this as the students are." Emma told him. "I mean, look at Lauren. Do you think she signed up to be a prison warden?"

"If you think that's bad, wait until he appoints those prefects he promised." Noah grumbled. The others just looked at him. "I kind of did some checking up on that prep school he went to, and the prefects...well...apparently a lot of former students don't have very good memories of them. They basically act as the teachers' personal storm troopers. They can do things the teachers can't legally, with only minimal risk of disciplinary reprisals."

"Great, that's all we need." Jake complained. "Let me guess, the power goes to their heads."

"Those are the rumours." Noah told him.

"Still, we can't do anything about that." Troy reminded them. "We can only worry about the other two issues. Gia, Noah said you knew who wrote those comics?"

"Well, I have a pretty good idea." Gia answered nervously. "I've just not had a chance to...It's...um...would you seriously mind if I handle this myself?"

"Are you sure?" Emma asked. "Maybe if..."

"I can't explain, but if I'm right...I think it's best to handle this with subtlety." Gia explained. "I think going in mob handed might be a bad move."

"OK, if you're sure, we'll trust your judgement." Troy told her. "But if you need us, don't hesitate to contact us."

"I won't." Gia replied, heading off. "Emma, tell your dad I might be a little late."

"OK, so Noah, have you made any progress on the RK situation?" Troy asked the Blue Ranger.

"Well, apart from narrowing it down to the people on the field trip, no." He told him. "Unfortunately, we're so focussed on the battles; we can't really keep an eye on everyone."

"Well, I think I have ideas on how to narrow it down." Troy told them. "We know it isn't one of us, because all of us have been at both battles."

"Great, so that's us now down to 11 suspects." Jake replied sarcastically. Emma just smacked him for interrupting, before turning back to Troy.

"Well, the extra security could be kind of a blessing in disguise." Troy explained. "With the school locked down tightly, the students are going to find it harder to do a disappearing act."

"Yeah, so we're going to be struggling to get out if a monster shows up during the day." Jake replied.

"But so will Robo if he's a student!" Noah said with a smile as he saw where Noah was going with this. "If anyone goes missing other than us..."

"Presuming he's a student." Emma replied. "It might be Mr Burley, he hasn't been seen since he was suspended. It's not like too many people are watching him."

"Or it could be Ernie." Noah replied.

"Somehow I doubt Ernie or Mr Burley exactly fight like Jet Li on steroids." Jake said slightly sceptically. "It could be Emma's dad though."

"What?" Emma shrieked.

"Well, he was at the field trip." Jake pointed out.

"And...we all saw what he was like when he rescued Gia." Noah concluded. "It's not like he's exactly a pacifist."

"I...Emma's words tailed off as she heard him say this. She didn't like the idea. She didn't want to believe it, but they had made her think about a couple of things. He had been at the field trip. After their talk, after he told her about his military experience, and seen him in the apartment, she knew he was more than capable of fighting. It horrified her to think of. The host for Robo Knight was not in full control of the power."

"No, it...it can't be..."

"Emma, we don't know yet. There's no point in jumping to conclusions." Troy said sympathetically, stroking her shoulder softly. Emma settled a little. "Still...as a suspect, we can't really rule him out. It might be worth keeping an eye on him."

"Besides, it might not be anyone that can fight at all." Noah told her. "Robo Knight is a fighting robot remember? It's programmed for combat! It's possible everything we've seen is just programming..."

"That's another thing I was thinking about." Troy told them. "The brawl in the canteen got me thinking about the Robo Knight's battles. It's something I noticed."

"What?" Jake asked.

"Well, Gosei said he and Zordon made the Robo Knight in the early days of the human race right?" He asked.

"Yeah, he did." Noah recalled. "So?"

"He used a lot of Martial Arts moves." Troy explained. "He was incredible. He had..."

"It could all have been programmed." Noah reiterated.

"A couple of thousand years before the arts were invented?" Troy asked him. "Karate only existed from the late 1300s. There are a few older arts, but..."

"So his fighting style isn't completely programmed." Jake concluded. "He has to take some knowledge for the host."

"So it's someone that knows Martial Arts." Noah concluded.

"They don't just know Martial Arts, they're pretty damned good." Troy told him. "So, start thinking about..."

"Mr Burrows, so glad I caught you before you left." The Principal stated, coming up behind him. The Red Ranger turned slowly to see him, looking a little hesitant. "Would you mind coming with me?"

"Um...sorry sir, I..."

"I promise it won't take much of your time." He told him. "I have something I'd very much like to discuss with you...and Ms Moran, but...I appear to have missed her."

"She left already." Emma told him.

"So, what do you want with us?" Jake asked. The Principal looked around them, almost like he was considering how to respond.

"Come this way Mr Burrows." He instructed him. "The rest of you, see yourselves safely home. I'll see you tomorrow."

Troy got the impression that while it was an 'invitation', it wasn't one that he was expected to refuse. He just indicated to the others that it was alright, and followed the Principal to his office. The others just looked at each other, a little confused.

"What do you suppose that was about?" Noah asked.

"Given the last time I was in his office, I don't think I want to know." Jake replied, hastily gathering his things and breathing a sigh of relief. "Come on; let's go before he changes his mind." For once, the others agreed wholeheartedly and followed suit.

In another part of town, Gia arrived at her destination. Approaching the door, she knocked and waited for an answer. A short time later, Bryan, Cat's older brother answered the door. He looked a little put out.

"You're...You're Cat's friend from the other day right?" He asked. "Um...Gemma?"

"Gia." She corrected him. "Yeah, um..."

She searched her mind for a reason to give him for being there. It was then that she remembered that the brawl in the canteen had kicked off when a kid had yelled at Cat.

"Something happened at school today..."

"Yeah, Cat told me all about it. Some kid dumped his dinner all over her." He grumbled. "The principal wouldn't even let her get changed, that dress is ruined! If he thinks he's heard the last of this..."

"Trust me; you won't be the only one unhappy with him right now." Gia told him. "But yeah, I haven't been in any classes with her this afternoon. I just wanted to make sure she was alright."

"She's understandably upset." Bryan told her.

"Who's there?" Cat called out.

"It's Gia." Bryan answered. "Look, it's been a bad day..."

Before he knew what was happening, Cat ran to the door, shoving him out of the way and beaming broadly. The fact her hair was still damp tipped Gia off to the fact she was only just out of the shower. She was grinning broadly seeing her.

"Hey Cat, I just came to see if you were alright after earlier." Gia told her.

"Oh, that's so nice." Cat answered. "Bryan, can she come in?"

"OK." He sighed. "But she can't stay long. Dinner's almost ready."

"It's OK, I have to get home too." Gia answered. "Cat, can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Okay." She said, showing Gia in, and taking her to her room. Gia arrived, and sat down on the bed as Cat came in, closing the door.

"So, you're alright?" Gia asked her. "That thing in the canteen looked pretty brutal."

"Oh...it's alright." She answered. "I'm a little upset about the dress, I really liked it."

"Listen, there's something else I wanted to talk to you about." Gia began, taking the comic out of her bag. "I found this at the school assembly. I found a lot more like it on the internet."

"This is...really good." Cat said, checking out the comic. "Um...do you like it?"

"I was actually more interested in why you've been drawing it." She continued. Cat just stared at her.

"You think...?"

"Rotekatze2013." Gia told her, gesturing to Cat's hair. "Rotekatze...it's German for red cat."

Cat just sighed and slumped down onto a chair. Gia looked to her, realising that she was upset and embarrassed that Gia had figured it out.

"I also noticed that your profile is linked to the same profile on the Harwood Flagship." Gia continued on. "That's...that's why you've been writing this isn't it? That's why you've been making comics of me as the Red Ranger."

Cat just nodded wordlessly, and Gia could see that she wasn't far from tears. Putting the pieces together, a lot of things were starting to make sense. Cat had been hanging around her, bombarding her with calls, trying to get her to spend time with her...now she understood why she was the Red Ranger in Cat's stories.

"I just...I've always thought that if anyone in town had the qualities to be a great Ranger, then it was you." Cat whimpered. "You were always so perfect. You were good at everything at school...you're perfect. Just like the Red Ranger."

"Believe me; I'm not as perfect as people think." Gia assured her. "I doubt anyone is, even the Red Ranger."

"I'm sorry; I know all this is weird. I'm just...I really wish I was as brave as you." Cat continued. "When I saw you stand up to those guys in the hallway, when you told everyone about yourself...I just couldn't stop thinking about it. It was amazing. I just...really wish someday I could be that brave."

She looked to Gia with watery eyes and gulped.

"You don't mind do you?" She asked. Gia smiled and took her hand gently.

"How can I be angry? This is great work. You've got real talent." Gia answered happily. "I also know what it's like to have to deal with...all that other stuff. I know it's scary to think about what's coming..."

"My parents didn't want to know when I told them." Cat interrupted her sadly. "Bryan said I didn't have to stay with them. He said I could stay here. I just...I've already lost them; I didn't want to risk it with the others."

"Well, one day you'll be ready." Gia told her. "But...you might want to calm down on the hero worship. After all, if I could figure it out, maybe others will too."

"I hadn't thought of that." Cat said dejectedly. Gia just squeezed her hand.

"I know how much it sucks to be forced to deal with all this crap before you're ready." Gia assured her. "I'd hate to see it happen to you."

"I'll take the stories down." Cat told her sadly. "I'm just...I'm really going to miss it."

"Well, maybe you don't have to." Gia told her, writing down her e-mail address. "You've obviously put a lot of work into this. It clearly means a lot to you. Maybe you could just...send me something once in a while?"

"Thanks Gia." Cat answered, taking the paper from her.

"Any time." Gia replied. "Now, I really need to be going. I'll see you around alright?"

"Really?" Cat asked her. Gia smiled.

"You bet." She answered, heading out the door. Cat just watched her go, before going to her computer to begin working. She had a lot of work to do to take down the stories, but she wasn't too upset. Although she would only have an audience of one, she couldn't wait to begin work on her next comic.

Elsewhere, Emma got home, and threw her bag down at the door.

"Hey dad, I'm home." She called out. "Gia has something to do; she said she'd be a little late coming home."

She didn't get an answer. Looking around, she couldn't hear anything.

"Dad?" She asked. She got to the Living Room, seeing the mail dumped on the table, along with a note, and some money. Her dad obviously had been home, but had left shortly afterwards. She picked up the note.

"Girls, I'm sorry, but something really important's come up, and I don't know when I'll be home. I've left twenty dollars on the table for you to order something in. Take care of yourselves."

Emma just sighed and shook her head. Two days. It had taken two days for her dad to completely ignore her insistence that he take it easy and restrict himself to the office while he let his ribs heal. She had no idea what he was doing, but she could imagine him off at one of the many sites his office ran security for.

Just then, her morpher bleeped. She answered it, hearing Tensou on the other end.

"Emma, that Toxic Mutant has shown up in town again." He informed her. "He's tearing the place up. It looks like he's been fully healed."

"Right, I'll be there as quick as I can." Emma told him. "Tell the others I'm on my way."

"Just, be careful, we're showing a huge power spike heading their way." Tensou informed her. "It's the Robo Knight."

"Oh God." Emma gasped, remembering everything Noah and Jake had told her. She felt sick to her stomach even considering the possibility. "Please, no!"

Elsewhere in the city, Psychotick, as he had been instructed, was attacking humans and creating destruction wherever he went in an effort to draw out his target. Vrak had been kind enough to lend him a couple of dozen Loogies for back-up, knowing that the Rangers would probably also get in on the action.

As he overturned a car, ignoring the screams of the unfortunate victims inside, he heard sounds of combat a little way off. He turned around in time to see that just as they had planned, the Robo Knight had shown up.

He grabbed one of the Loogies by the throat, and hoisting him high into the air, drove him into the ground, shattering the concrete and destroying the unfortunate creature. He looked up, through the hoard before him, and started his implacable march. He drew his blaster as he walked.

"Ah, so you're here. I was beginning to think you'd never show." Psychotick stated as he faced him. The people inside the car took the opportunity to crawl out, seeing the Blue and Black Rangers arriving on the scene. They had been closest when they got the call.

"Those people need help." Jake stated as they got there. Noah pointed to the Robo Knight.

"Um...they're not the only ones." He told Jake. "Look whose back."

"Oh great, that's all we need." Jake said sarcastically. "Robo Psychopath in a populated area, that's going to end well!"

"You got away last time." Robo Knight stated, levelling his blaster. "You will not be so lucky this time."

Noah looked on with horror as he saw the situation. He was aiming his blaster straight at Psychotick...who was standing right in front of an overturned car! He and Jake ran, grabbing the inhabitants of the car, and ran for cover as he opened fire.

The explosion sent flame and debris flying in all directions. By the time Psychotick got to his feet, Robo Knight had converted it to his Robo Blade, and began cutting down Loogies on all sides.

From his vantage point a little way off, Vrak kept his eye on the battle. He just smiled.

"Everything is going just as I planned." He stated, pulling out a device and pressing a button. Robo Knight was so busy locked in battle; he didn't notice a Robotic Tick flying overhead.

The rest of the Rangers had arrived, helping Noah and Jake in the battle, and they saw the device flying towards the Robo Knight. Troy watched it stop a little way over his head.

Bars flew out of it, and formed a cage around the Robo Knight. He lashed out at the bars as they restrained him.

"What is this?" It called out. "You think you can restrain a Guardian of the Earth?"

Suddenly, in a flash of light, the cage disappeared. The Rangers all watched on as Psychotick turned to them.

"Well, we got what we came for." He responded. "Another time Rangers!"

As he and the Loogies disappeared, Emma fell to her knees, tears running down her face as the others assembled around her. The battle now made more sense. Psychotick had already confirmed that the only reason they were there was to get their hands on the Robo Knight.

"Great, that's all we need." Jake grumbled. "What do they want with him?"

"Whatever it is, it can't be good." Troy stated. "There is still an innocent person in there. Let's head to the Command Centre. Maybe Gosei has an idea."

With that, Emma got slowly back to her feet, struggling to keep it together as they teleported away.


	20. Rescuing a Knight

The Rangers got to the Command Centre, finding Tensou already working furiously at a work station. Following Troy's lead, they all approached Gosei, recalling their helmets.

"They took Robo Knight." Troy began, feeling the seriousness of the situation in his voice. So far, this seemed like the most hopeless situation the Rangers had faced. The alignment of the Toxic Mutants to the Warstar had increased the power of their enemies exponentially. The closest thing they had to an ally was still a rogue element, as much a danger to them as he was to their enemies, and now, they didn't even know where he was. "What's going on Gosei?"

"I do not know for certain, but I have a grave suspicion." Gosei told them as Tensou worked. "As you know, at present, Robo Knight is working purely on programming; it has not aligned with its host."

"Either that or its host is a psychopath." Jake suggested, earning himself a punch in the ribs from Emma. "Hey, what? It's a possibility!"

"It's NOT!" Emma screamed at him. "He can't be in control; no human can be that uncaring! No one!"

"Alright, jeez!" He complained. Gia just put her arm around Emma.

"Are you OK?" Gia asked her. Emma just shook her head.

"I'll be fine." She told them.

"I've got a reading!" Tensou told them. He brought up an overhead image of a waste dumping site a few miles from the city. They could see Vrak, Psychotick and a number of Loogies all standing around a strange looking device. They could only see it from the top given the viewpoint, but they could see it had a pattern that looked like four metal ticks, facing to each side of the square device. The power reading from inside indicated the Robo Knight was inside.

"I know that place!" Emma told them. "One of the groups I'm with picketed to have that place shut down a couple of years ago! There were a ton of protests!"

"It looks even worse than the factory." Noah commented, joining Tensou at the console to assist him. "No wonder that mutant feels at home there."

"So what is that thing?" Jake asked, pointing to the device.

"It seems to be some kind of power draining unit." Noah told them. "The Robo Knight's power level is dropping steadily."

"They're taking his power?" Troy asked.

"I believe it is merely the first stage of their plan." Gosei stated. "The Robo Knight's software is extremely resistant to outside influence. I believe that they are draining his power to weaken his defences. I believe their overall goal is to reprogram him."

"Reprogram?" Noah asked. "But...if he's only working off his programming, if they succeed, they can get him to do what they want!"

"We can't let that happen." Troy stated with authority. "He's not been a great ally up until now, but if they turn his focus our way..."

"That's all we'd need." Jake muttered. "The Toxic Mutants are bad enough. With this guy on their side two, we'd be toast!"

"That must not be allowed to happen." Gosei told them. "You must prevent this happening by any means necessary."

"Any means necessary?" Emma asked, her tears beginning to run. "You mean...?"

"Release the Robo Knight if you can, his power if it can be harnessed, could still be of great help to us." Gosei told them. "If you cannot, make sure it does not fall into their hands."

"You want us to destroy him?" Emma shrieked as she heard this. All of the Rangers felt just as much reluctance about this as she did. They all knew there was a person in the suit, someone they knew. "You want us to kill...?"

"There may be no choice!" Gosei answered abruptly. "In war, difficult choices, sacrifices must be made. He would not be the first to fall."

"He's meant to be an ally!" Gia agreed.

"He is a threat that cannot be allowed to come to pass." Gosei reiterated. "If the time comes, you must eliminate that threat."

"We always knew it was a possibility." Troy said, turning to his team. "I know that none of us want to do this. We'll exhaust every other option, try everything else, no matter the cost to ourselves, but if it comes down to him or us..."

"It's...its dad." Emma stammered. They all looked to her as she struggled to compose herself. "Dad's the Robo Knight."

"Wait...are you sure?" Jake asked. "Emma, I only suggested..."

"Dad served in the Marine Corp before he went into private security." Emma informed them. "He knows Martial Arts, he knows how to use a gun, and he...he wasn't at home when I got there."

"He wasn't?" Gia asked. "I thought he was coming home early..."

"He left a note, just said he was going out to do something important." Emma told her. "It makes sense!"

"It's pretty..."

"It's enough for us to re-think this." Noah interrupted Troy as he made his way to Emma's side, comforting her with Gia. "If...if there's even a chance this is true, that's enough for me."

Jake, for once, didn't have anything to say. He just moved to join the other four. Troy just nodded and approached Emma, taking her chin in her hand, and lifting her face to look into her eyes.

"I promise you, we'll do everything to stop that happening." Troy assured her. "I don't care what it takes or what it costs. We'll do everything in our power to save him."

With that, he turned back to Gosei.

"Send us out there." Troy instructed him.

At the dump site, Robo Knight lashed out at the bars of his cage, trying desperately to smash through the bars. He could feel the technology sapping at his power and fought to escape, to break free before the enemy could destroy him. Sparks flew, and energy crackled. Every time he struck the bars, flashes of lightning coursed through him, causing him immense pain, eventually bringing him to his knees. Kneeling in the cage, he saw Vrak approaching him, smirking in satisfaction.

"Please, struggle all you want." He taunted him in an arrogant tone. "The more you struggle, the more quickly the cage drains your energy. The fact it also causes you pain is just...a delightful bonus."

"This device will not restrain me!" Robo Knight declared coldly. "I will not remain here; I will destroy all of you!"

"Oh, who said anything about restraining you?" Vrak asked him. "Why, very soon, I plan on releasing you. I can't think it'll take too much longer for your power to be reduced enough to weaken your defences."

He produced a device from his armour, and attached it to the cage. Robo Knight felt something in addition to the power drain. This time, it was affecting his mind. It was creeping in, beginning to attack his base programming. Only his defensive software stopped it in its tracks, but the attack was unrelenting.

"Pretty soon you'll see things our way." Vrak informed him. "I quite look forward to..."

The Rangers arrived on the field, attacking en force. They knew that they didn't have long before Vrak would make his final push to take control. They needed to free the Robo Knight before that happened.

Gia supported Emma, both of them fighting ferociously as they tried to make their way towards the cage. While Mr Goodall was not Gia's dad, he was very important to her. He had taken her in, and given her a home. He took care of her, and he accepted her. He had been there for her and done so much, she would do anything for him. She broke into a run towards the cage as she got a space, before swinging wildly, trying to smash through the bars. She was thrown back several feet as electricity coursed through her, sending her to the ground.

"OK, that didn't work." She grumbled. Vrak came over, swinging his weapon her way, only for Jake to rush to her aid. The Land Rangers quickly split off from the battle, their powerful foe taking all of their focus to match.

Troy traded blows with Psychotick, while Emma and Noah dealt with more Loogies. He locked Psychotick in a hold, giving him a chance to have a quick look around to assess the situation. He was struggling against Psychotick, while Gia and Jake had their hands full with Vrak. He saw that Noah and Emma were making progress against the Loogies, and that pretty soon they'd be done with them. Emma, he knew was desperate to help her dad, but she was much closer to him than the cage. Making a judgement call, he called out an order.

"Emma, help me!" Troy yelled at her. "Noah, go for the cage!"

Emma looked between the cage and Troy for a moment. She wanted to go and help her dad. She was desperate to go, and every one of her instincts called on her to do so. Since her mom had died, he was her whole world. The very thought of losing him terrified her.

However, she heard a dim voice of reason in the back of her head. Noah was the technology expert. Short of smashing the cage, he was the only one that would be able to figure out how it worked and have a chance of disarming it. She had already seen both Robo Knight and Gia trying and failing to smash it. Despite her heart telling her otherwise, she ran towards Troy, leaving Noah to deal with the cage, praying she had made the right choice.

Noah ran towards the cage, and inspected it, trying to figure out how it worked. He was unfamiliar with the technology it utilised. He got some of the basics, but he was starting to wish he'd had more time studying with Tensou. He went to the new attachment, failing to find any form of controls.

"I'm going to help you." Noah insisted. "Try to hold on."

It was easier said than done, the reprogramming was already starting to break through some of his lower level core program. It wouldn't be long before it started to work on his higher functions.

"I don't know how this works." Noah admitted. "I've got one last idea."

Robo Knight watched him back up from the cage and pull out his Shark Bowgun. He turned it up to full power, and inspected the cage. He could see one of the bars had been slightly damaged, and figured if he had a shot at all, that was the most likely. He aimed for the cage.

"Get down!" Noah instructed him. Robo Knight ducked down as Noah fired what he was sure might be his only shot. The force of the blast sent Robo Knight to the floor, and Noah tumbling backwards. As he got up though, his vision a little blurry, he could see that the cage, while damaged, was still intact.

Robo Knight got up, damaged, and with his higher programming struggling to resist Vrak's attempt to turn him against the Earth and the Rangers. He saw that one of the bars was now bent, creating a small gap. He got up, and tried to get through, ignoring the electrical discharge painfully coursing through him in an attempt to keep him in the cage. He forced himself into the gap as hard as he could, trying to get through, but his armour made him just too large to get through. Robo Knight did the only thing it could, and recalled its armour into its host, making it just small enough that it fell through between the bars.

The host, still in pain, saw the battle still underway, but unlike before, the armour did not take control to throw him into the fray. For the first time since the battle began, he was in control. He scrambled to his feet, and took to heel, running. Noah, still regaining his vision and bearings, saw a human running away quickly, and realised it had to be the Robo Knight's host.

Unfortunately, he couldn't go after him. His attention was brought back to the battle as Jake was sent crashing through a rock a little way from him. Noah helped him up as the Rangers regrouped by their side.

"So much for the almighty Robo Knight." Vrak sneered. "Still, the day's not a complete loss. Maybe we'll just make do with finishing you all here and now."

On a cliff, just above them, Lauren arrived, finding the battle going badly. It looked like the Rangers were taking a heavy beating. She cursed herself for taking so long to get out here. It took her a lot longer to find out where the battle was, never mind get out there. She pulled out her Samuraizer, preparing to join the battle, when she noticed something odd. A little way off, she saw another person climbing over the rock face, escaping the battle site. She couldn't see him clearly, but it looked like a guy. Knowing that no sane person...herself included probably, would be out here, she figured there was only one explanation. This was the Robo Knight.

Meanwhile, the Robo Knight's host got to the top of the cliff, to the relative safety of the road. He knew he was miles from the city, but he had only barely escaped. Looking down into the dump though, the host could see the Rangers weren't so lucky. Vrak and Psychotick were laying waste to them, leaving them virtually defenceless. Before long, they were all on the ground, and their suits disappeared in a flash of light, leaving regular, ordinary people behind.

He looked to the road, and knew that he couldn't just go and leave them. They had fought for him, they had saved him, he owed them his life.

Searching his mind, asking for help, he found the Robo Knight informing him of damage.

"We can't let that stop us." The host replied. It informed him of incomplete programming. "We don't need it. I'm...I need to help them!"

He forced the Robo Knight's hand, running straight for the edge of the cliff. As he approached, the Robo Morpher appeared in his hand. He activated it just as he launched himself off the cliff. He landed on the ground, right between the Rangers, Vrak and Psychotick.

"What? But...how?"

"Machines have their limits." Robo Knight declared. "But a human will power? Not so much!"

"What is this?" Vrak screamed.

"Time for the talking to end." Robo Knight answered, rushing into the attack. He smashed into Psychotick, picking him up and rushing him in a tackle straight through a rocky outcrop. Vrak decided that was his cue to go and disappeared.

"It looks like your friend's left you to it!" Robo Knight declared. "Vulcan Cannon!"

He fired off the blast point-blank, destroying him completely. Robo Knight turned around, facing the Rangers as they finally managed to get back up.

He couldn't believe what he was seeing. He had always suspected that the Rangers were people, he had no doubt SOMEONE was under the suits, but these people...he knew them. He saw them every day! He put away his weapon and approached them slowly.

"Are you alright?" He asked them. "Can I help you?"

"Wait, what?" Jake asked. "You've been tearing up the city for days, and now you want to help us?"

"Please, I want to help." Robo Knight told them. "We're...we're all good guys right?"

"That's..."

"Jake." Noah stated, cutting his friend off and smiling. "When was the last time you heard a machine say 'please'?"

The others all realised Noah was right. It wasn't typical behaviour at all for the Robo Knight. Its primary programme was to combat threats to the planet. Once it was done with that, it disappeared. Beyond that, it didn't care what was damaged or who was in danger. Yet, here he was, offering to help.

"You, the host...you're in control now aren't you?" Troy asked. Robo Knight just nodded.

"We've reached an understanding." Robo Knight stated.

Just then, Psychotick returned to life, growing to immense size. Robo Knight held up a hand.

"Leave this to me." He told them. "I've..."

As he was about to say something, a Power Card appeared in his hand. He just looked at it.

"Knight Brothers?" He asked. The programming of the Robo Knight informed him that it was auxiliary zords it had utilised back in the day, but that just like it; they had been decommissioned and stored away for safe keeping. "Knight Brothers Megazord, Activate!"

He transformed into the Lion Megazord, as two other Zords appeared, they were both modelled after Lions. Forming up into a Megazord, it confronted Psychotick.

"Wow, is this really happening?" Jake asked. "Is he really on our side now?"

"I think Vrak's been too smart for his own good." Noah said with a smile as the battle began. The others just looked at him. "His device was designed to break down the defences to allow him access to the core programme right?"

"Yeah." Emma asked.

"Well, since its defences were weakened..."

"He made it easier for the host to access the programme and unify with the Robo Knight!" Gia concluded, turning back to the battle. "I never thought I'd say this, but thank you Vrak!"

They turned in time to see Psychotick screaming in agony. The Knight Brothers Megazord prepared for its final attack. Launching a missile, it slammed into Psychotick, before the Zord rushed forward, destroying the creature utterly. The Robo Knight changed back into its normal mode, before returning to the Rangers.

"Wow, that was incredible." Troy complimented him.

"I guess that means you're on our side now." Noah replied. The Robo Knight saw his outstretched hand, and wanted to respond, but thoughts came to him as he backed away. He was always aware of what the Robo Knight did before he gained control. He knew the damage he had caused, and the lives he had put in danger. Knowing that the Rangers were people that knew him, he knew that he had a lot to make up for.

"I'm sorry." He replied. "I'll be there when you need me."

As he turned to leave, Emma called out.

"Dad, we know it's you!" She called out. "You were at that field trip. You..."

"I'm not your dad." He responded, but felt a little uneasy with her mentioning the field trip. He had indeed encountered the Robo Knight while he was there. "I'll be there if you need me, but for now, its best you don't know."

With that, he turned into his Lion Head mode, and flew away. The Rangers all looked around each other.

"What was that about?" Jake asked. Troy just sighed and shook his head.

"Who knows?" He asked. "For now, let's just worry about getting home."

Just then, a red Land Rover appeared a little way from them. Troy and the others just looked completely confused.

"Hey, up there!" Gia stated, pointing up to someone on the cliff, just too far away for them to see properly, but it looked like a Ranger. A second later, a horse appeared, which the Ranger mounted, and rode off out of view.

"Um...OK, what was that about?" Jake asked.

"Believe me; this is far from the weirdest thing we've seen." Troy said wearily, finding all the questions mounting up becoming exhausting. He got to the jeep, finding the keys inside. "Well, I guess we have a ride home at least."

"But...we can teleport?" Noah reminded him.

"Just because you never learned to drive brainiac." Jake stated. "I call driver!"

Troy tossed him the keys, feeling that it was impolite to refuse a gift from another Ranger. Jake started up the engine, and turned on the radio and started to drive along the road.

As they got onto the main road, the radio finally picked up the local radio station.

"...the main news again, fugitive at large, Gerald Moran, has been brought into police custody."

"What?" Gia called out. "Turn that up!"

"A spokesperson for the Harwood Police Department has informed us that he was brought into the station within the last hour, having been apprehended in a daring citizen's arrest as he attempted to board a ferry using false identification." The news reporter continued. "We managed to get a statement from the arresting civilian, Eric Goodall."

"Mr Moran was a good friend; I couldn't believe what he had done to his own daughter. When I found out, I was disgusted, as I am sure any right thinking parent would be." He told them. "I used some of the resources at my company to try and find him, and fortunately one of those leads brought me to the harbour."

"Police say..."

Gia reached forward and turned off the radio. She felt both relieved and horrified at the same time. While she had doubted her father would be back, there was always a part of her that was uneasy while he was still at large, not knowing where he was. Now, she knew he was in police custody, and would face charges for her abduction.

"I'm sorry." Jake stated. "It has to suck..."

"That's what my dad was doing." Emma stated, putting her arm around Gia for support. "He was looking for your dad. That's why he was always..."

She paused as she realised something.

"The news said he brought your dad in within the last hour." Emma stated. "If he made a statement to the press..."

"It usually takes at least half an hour to set up a decent interview." Noah chimed in. "There's no way he could have been in two places at once!"

"So he wasn't lying." Emma replied, the relief obvious in her voice. "Robo Knight isn't my dad."

"Well, now we know who he isn't." Troy stated. "Now all we need to figure out who he is."


	21. Investigating Myteries

It took a while for the Rangers to get back into town. Even with Jake "Are we having problems taking off Wing Commander?" Hollings at the wheel, the dump was still a long way from town. All things considered, they preferred teleportation. It was only because the vehicle had been a gift from a fellow Ranger, albeit one who didn't even see fit to reveal who she was, that caused them to use it.

They pulled up outside Ernie's Brainfreeze and disembarked. As they did so, they all turned as in a flash of light, the four by four disappeared.

"What the...?" Jake started to say, before the keys disappeared from his hand. "What gives?"

"Seriously, this is the last mystery I care about right now." Gia groaned, rubbing her eyes. It was a sentiment largely shared by the others. After recent events, they were all tired, sore, and more than anything, they were sick and tired of secrets and mysteries. The fact another Ranger had shown up and given them what was essentially a loan of a car to get home was, in the grand scheme of things, easily the least of the questions on their minds. It was something they were curious about, but right now, all of them just wanted to get home for a good night's sleep.

"I think Gia's right; we're not going to figure out anything tonight." Troy stated himself barely able to stand. He knew the walk home was going to be a chore, but wanted to remain strong in front of his team. "I say we get together tomorrow in Mr Burley's class, an hour before first period..."

"Dude, going to school early?" Jake groaned. Troy just glared at him.

"We'll compare notes and discuss what we know about Robo Knight then." He told them. "Until then, I say we all could do with some down time."

"Too damn right." Jake sighed. "Come on Noah, I'll walk you home."

"Come on Emma, we can get something for dinner on the way." Gia stated as they went off in another direction. Troy just turned and made his way home, confident that despite the late hour, he would still arrive before his parents. Their hectic, busy schedules meant that for the most part, they rarely saw him at any time other than weekends, leaving him to his own devices. It was one of the things that made him so independent, and also meant he didn't have the same hassle as the others coming home hurt or late. They would never notice anyway. He hoisted his bag higher on his shoulder and flagged down a cab.

At the Goodall place, Eric placed down the ice-pack he was holding to his head. Taking a couple of ice-cubes from the towel, he placed a couple of cubes into a glass and poured himself some bourbon. It was a large measure, but after the day he'd had, he figured he deserved it. He looked around as he heard the door lock trigger and the girls walked in.

He realised what this had to look like. His suit was dirty, blood-stained, and rumpled. He had a huge gash running the full length of the right side of his face, which had been stitched up. He looked to them both, knowing that he was likely in deep trouble. He had promised Emma that while he was injured he would stay at the office and not take any chances.

"Emma, this..."

He didn't get to say anything else. It was fortunate that Gia was carrying the Thai take-out they had bought for dinner, because Emma sprinted the length of the room and swallowed her dad in a huge hug. She had tears in her eyes seeing him. They had discovered through radio news that he was miles from the site of the battle when Robo Knight was fighting. At the exact same time, he was at the ferry port almost ten miles away. It was a huge relief for Emma knowing that her dad wasn't facing that kind of danger.

"Wow, if this is how I get punished for..."

"YOU PROMISED!" She yelled at him, backing away a little and smacking him on the shoulder, one of the few places he wasn't visibly injured. He just looked at her. "You promised me you were going to stay at the office! You promised you weren't going to take any chances while you were still hurt!"

"Emma, I'm sorry, but I...I had something..."

"The radio was on at the Thai place." Gia lied slightly as she set the meal down on the table. "We know about dad."

Eric just sighed deeply.

"I'm sorry, but I knew that he would probably try and skip town." He told them. "I asked a few guys I know to keep an eye out for anyone matching his description looking for fake papers."

"The police..."

"The police don't know the people I do." Eric interrupted Emma. "I've followed a couple of leads over the last couple of days. Then, I saw a booking on the ferry under the name of a fake I that had been bought recently. I knew if he wasn't caught..."

"That's what the police are for!" Emma yelled at him, hitting him again. "Do you have ANY idea...?"

"I've known Gia's dad a long time, I knew what I was doing." He protested.

"Oh, and what about this?" Emma asked, pointing to the side of his face. Eric just laughed weakly.

"I'll give your dad one thing, he's got a mean left hook." Eric said to Gia. "The fact he was holding a brick at the time really didn't help matters."

"He tried to cave your head in with a brick?" Emma shrieked.

"He was cornered and he was desperate. I'd probably have done the same thing in his position." Eric said philosophically, taking a sip of his drink. "I took him down, and held him until the cops showed up."

"What if he'd had a knife dad? What if he'd had a gun?" Emma yelled at him.

"That's what I have this for." He told her, tapping the pistol in his shoulder harness. Emma just rolled her eyes.

"Having a gun yourself doesn't make you bullet-proof!" She screamed at him. By now she couldn't hold her tears back. She was relieved that he wasn't the Robo Knight, she was thankful that he wasn't involved in the war she had been drafted into, and she felt like she owed the universe a huge debt that he had come home relatively unharmed considering the fact he had obviously been in a fight while his ribs were still cracked, but now that was out of the way, she couldn't get over the fact he had done it. He had gone out looking for a desperate man on the run while he was hurt. "Dad, I've already lost mom, I can't lose you too!"

With that, she broke down in tears. She was hurt and angry with what had happened. Coupled with her exhaustion, she just didn't have the heart or the mental faculties to deal with it. Eric saw his daughter in tears and took her into a huge hug. Seeing Gia a little way off, he gestured her over, and hugged her too.

"I'm sorry." He told them both. "I know I probably didn't handle this well, but I needed to handle it."

"Dad?" Gia asked him.

"He's being held on remand." Eric told her. "I'm sorry this had to happen Gia, but I couldn't let him go. I can't imagine how difficult this is."

Gia didn't say a word. She hadn't really figured out how she felt herself. Although she hid it well with her usual bravado and coldness, she was genuinely scared that she knew her father was still at large. She had found herself looking over her shoulder a few times, wondering if the guy in the long coat or with his hat pulled down was her dad, waiting to try again to take her. On the other hand, he was still her dad. Although the last year had been a nightmare for her family, it was impossible to just throw the memory of the man she knew, the man who had raised her since she was born in the trash. She just held onto him as he held them both.

"You girls mean everything to me. I wouldn't let anything happen to either of you." He told them. "I'm sorry."

The following day, the kids went to school. Because they were so early, only the staff were there. No one really questioned the fact Noah went in, he usually went in early to work on his extra credit work. He'd had hopes of going to MIT since he was in Grade School, and did everything in his power to make that happen. The others caused a bit more of a stir, but when Noah said they were with him, they backed off.

They got to Mr Burley's class, finding Jeremy, Lauren and Spike there, discussing something. It seemed like it was something important, because they barely noticed as the Rangers arrived.

"Um...sorry, we just..." Noah began. "I'll find another room."

"Um...It's OK, we can finish this later." Lauren said, flipping the chalk board, hiding what they had written on it.

"No, its fine, all the teachers leave the classes unlocked." Noah stated. "Don't stop on our account."

They turned around, heading out the door again, finding another class, Mr Thomson's Social Studies class to be exact. Noah chose this class because he knew that Mr Thomson was so strictly ordered, the supplies he'd need would already be there. He went to the chalk board and picked up a piece of chalk.

"Gia, you said last night you'd deal with the comics." Troy reminded them. "Well...?"

"Its fine, it's dealt with." Gia told them. "I checked this morning, and all the comics and fanfictions have been pulled down. There won't be any more."

"So you did find the author?" Emma asked her. "Who was it?"

"Um...I really can't say." Gia said hesitantly. "I gave my word."

"Gia, it's us." Emma told her.

"I'm sorry, but I promised." Gia insisted, remembering her promise to Cat. Although she had figured out that Cat had published the comics out of a crush, a hero-worship of her, she knew that she wasn't out yet. She had promised to keep her secret until Cat was ready to come out, and with her experiences, she had every intention of keeping it.

"Gia, you've never kept anything from me." Emma stated. "Well, apart from...you know...but still. You can't even tell me?"

"I'm really sorry." Gia stated regretfully. Emma seemed more than a little hurt, this was only the second secret that Gia had ever kept from her, and the first was a big one. She hated causing that hurt in her best friend, but she couldn't betray her promise.

"Alright, if it's dealt with, that's good enough for me." Troy stated. "Any thoughts about Robo Knight?"

"OK, I think I've managed to narrow it down quite a bit." Noah told them, beginning to write.

"Um...you have?" Emma asked.

"How?" Gia continued. "I mean, last night, my brain was pretty much useless for anything other than finding my bed."

"It's just fortunate that we have the Sheldon Cooper of Harwood County then." Jake said with a smile. Noah just glared at him. Jake just held up his hands defensively.

"There were thirteen people on that field trip other than us, ten students and three adults." Noah stated, beginning to write down names. Emma just furrowed her brows.

"How did you get those names?" She asked. "I can't remember..."

"Trust me; the security system on the school's computer network is a joke." Noah interrupted her, finishing the list. He turned away, letting them see the list.

Mr Goodall  
Mr Burley  
Ernie  
Jordan Edwards  
Calvin Thatcher  
Dirk Benedict  
Cat Williams  
Pauline Smith  
Spike Skullovitch  
Elizabeth Jacobs  
Billy Lang  
Kayla Sharp  
Emily Pond

"I went to the Command Centre last night." He continued. "I figured if anyone could make sense of what happened, Tensou and Gosei could. They put me through a process that isolates and records visual memory."

He put a DVD into a DVD player and put up an image of the Robo Knight's host running away from the battle. They all squinted at the blurry image.

"I was pretty out of it when I saw him." Noah told them. "My vision was in and out, that's why the picture is..."

"Useless." Jake stated, throwing up his hands. "That could be anyone!"

"Well, not quite." Noah said with an arrogant little smile. "Blurs can tell you more than you think if you look at them the right way."

"OK, still not following." Jake stated.

"Well, we can tell he has hair." Gia stated, gesturing to the screen. "That rules Ernie out."

Noah scored his name off the list.

"We can also tell that he's male." Emma stated. "His shoulders are a lot wider than his hips."

Noah proceeded to score off the girls' names.

"Well, that' the two obvious ones out of the way." He stated. "If you see, here he's right next to a tree. I had Gosei analyse it for height, so I have an approximate height/weight index for the guy. He's about 5'7" to 5'9", and around a hundred and forty to a hundred and fifty pounds."

"Well, that rules out Mr Burley, that guy wouldn't break a hundred and twenty." Jake stated. "We can also rule out Dirk, that guy's way too big to fit that description."

Noah scored out those names.

"Alright, so that leaves us with these names." Noah told them, gesturing to the board.

Jordan Edwards  
Calvin Thatcher  
Spike Skullovitch  
Billy Lang

"Well, it isn't much, but at least it's only four names instead of thirteen." Emma commented.

"We also know that Robo Knight fights with some seriously sick Martial Arts skills that aren't part of his programming." Troy interjected. "So, that should narrow it down further."

"Only if we see these guys fight." Noah said sarcastically. "What do you want us to do, go out and pick fights with these guys?"

Troy just smiled.

"Something like that." He answered, pulling off his jacket. They all saw that instead of his usual red shirt, he was wearing a black t-shirt with the school logo stitched into each sleeve.

"Um...what's with the wardrobe?" Jake asked.

"When the principal called me into the office, there were a bunch of kids there. He wanted Gia there too, but she'd already gone home." Troy informed them. "He appointed me a prefect."

"Wait, he did what?" Jake snapped. "So, you're the student Gestapo?"

"It's not like that!" Troy protested. "Look, I didn't want to do it either, but then I got to thinking. We're going to be sneaking out a lot. We're going to be breaking the perimeter, and if anyone can allow that to happen unseen, who better than one of the guys with the keys?"

"That's pretty smart." Emma said with an impressed smile, taking in the view of Troy in his tight...VERY tight, t—shirt. "Um...so...what were you saying?"

"Well, it just so happens, that all the new prefects were appointed that afternoon. I know who all of them are." Troy told them. "And it just so happens, all four of the guys on that list are now prefects."

"Wait, Calvin's a prefect?" Noah asked. "How did that happen?"

"The principal explained he was looking for people with good grades who also had a good record in athletics and a good disciplinary record. He and Dirk are both prefects." Troy explained. "That's why he wanted Gia I guess."

"He can keep it." Gia muttered. "One member of the student police force is enough for this team."

"Wait, how could he appoint Dirk and Calvin prefects?" Emma asked. "Sure, they're fine now, but until a couple of weeks ago they were terrorising half the kids in school."

"But they don't have a disciplinary record. No one ever reported them." Troy reminded them.

"So, you and Gia were going to be prefects?" Jake said with a little smile. "So, when am I getting fitted for one of those t-shirts? I think I'd rock that look."

"Um...never." Troy told him bluntly. Jake's face slipped. "I asked the same thing, but there's just a small matter of you almost ending up on the receiving end of an assault charge."

"Oh, that." Jake sighed.

Just then, the bell rang and the Rangers got up and started to head to their first class. Spike stopped Troy as he was about to leave.

"Troy, there's one more thing." Noah told him. "But it might make more questions than answers."

"What is it?" Troy asked him.

"Lauren flipped the chalk board when we went in, but I saw enough of it to see what they were writing." Noah told him. He pointed to the chalk board he had just wiped clean. "It was the same list we were writing."

"The kids on the field trip?" Troy asked.

"They had names scored off too." Noah told him. "I think they're also trying to figure out who the Robo Knight is."

"Why?" Troy asked him.

"I'll try and find out if you want." Noah stated. Troy just nodded.

"Fine, just be subtle and be careful." He instructed him. With that, they both headed for their first class.


	22. A Knight Revealed

Lunch time rolled around, and as per the Principal's rules, the prefects were allowed out of lessons five minutes ahead of the rest of the students to take up position. They were charged with covering the exits to the school building, a couple at the main gates, just in case someone managed to slip out of the building, and of course, since it was where the students would be imprisoned for lunch break, to set up a perimeter in the canteen to discourage any more incidents.

Troy made his way to the canteen, taking up position with the others quickly filing into place around the canteen. He wasn't keen on this position at all. Tempers were already at a high because of the increasingly strict curtails placed on their liberties. It seemed like the principal was making up more and more rules and regulations as he went along, all in the name of "the safety of the students". Troy now had no less than fifty rules concerning conduct, where in the school grounds the students were allowed to be out with class time, what they were allowed to do...it really was sounding a lot less like protection and more like being a prison guard. Still, he knew that for the time being, he had to bite his tongue. The position came with certain privileges that were invaluable right now.

The prefects had a lot more freedom of movement in the school, with only the staff lounge being off limits to them. The basement had been assigned as a prefects' lounge for them to use when they were not in lessons or performing their duties, offering them a sanctuary of sorts. Finally, by virtue of being prefects, the staff naturally paid much less attention to their actions. Something that he was sure would be very handy considering the fact they guarded the doors, and he was certain that the Warstar and the Toxic Mutants wouldn't wait until the school bell rang at the end of the day to attack.

Having a bunch of students standing over their shoulders, breathing down their necks, looking for misbehaviour was far from likely to ease tensions any. If anything, he felt that it would fan the flames and increase the chances someone would act in haste. Seeing the number of students in black Prefects t-shirts lining the walls, his reservations weren't eased any. The Principal made a point of choosing people that best exemplified the qualities he prized in students. Athletic prowess, singular thought and the pursuit of power and prestige...what he liked to call 'school spirit'. While none of them were exactly dumb, needing a C average to qualify for extracurricular duties, they were basically glorified bullies. They were there to intimidate others into observing the Principal's view of the school.

He looked across the room, and found the ones he was looking for, thinking it was a blessing they were all in the same room, and more than that, they were in the melting pot, the place things were most likely to kick off.

Spike Skullovitch...he didn't really know Spike too well. All he really knew about him was that he came from Panorama, and that he seemed to know Lauren. He had seen them talking a few times, and got the impression they had known each other for a while. He knew that Spike was a bright kid, having been brought to Harwood on some form of extra credit module in the hopes of becoming a police officer. He could see why the assignment of Prefect would appeal to him, kind of a trial run for the purpose if he took the position as anything other than a licence to act as a bully.

In the corner closest to the food line was Billy Lang. He was a mainstay of the baseball, basketball and wrestling teams, being something of a school hero in the field of sports. His sharp, unblemished features, and floppy blonde hair also made him something of a heart-throb, meaning he was generally always being watched very closely by the female population of the school. It came with it a lot of arrogance and a particularly vicious tongue. He knew he was held in high regard at the school, and it went to his head, meaning he thought nothing of ensuring other students knew that they were beneath him in his eyes. He gave a little smirk, seeing Troy standing there and a curt little nod, indicating that he was looking forward to their first duty. Troy didn't doubt it, he was sure the assignment of the position of Prefect, giving him some real power over the students would do little to improve his demeanour.

Calvin was taking up position near the doors. Troy only really knew of him in the last couple of weeks. Calvin had, until very recently, been one of the school's most active bullies. It was only following his encounter with Creepox that Calvin and his best friend Dirk had learned the error of their ways, being made to face the fear they had visited on others had caused a marked turn around in both of them. Now, they had been seen on a few occasions, intervening when other students were being bullied. It was only a few weeks ago that Troy would probably have thought making them Prefects was a horrible idea. Now though, he thought that perhaps they would serve well in their position.

Finally, he saw Jordan standing, a little anxiously, looking around and shifting around, like he was trying to find the best vantage point in the room. Jordan had been, for a while, something of a social outcast. Like Troy, he had only come to the school a couple of months ago. He had, for a while, attracted attention to himself, trying to win over friends by claiming that he was the Red Ranger. He was pretty convincing in his stories too, so much so that by the time the Rangers found out, about half the year were convinced it was true. If it wasn't for the fact the Rangers knew it wasn't true, the detail and passion he put into his stories would almost have had them convinced.

Troy's attention was brought around as the students started to file into the canteen. They could already hear the usual protests and complaints. The Prefects all started to prepare for their duties, though from here Troy could see the difference in the way they were acting. Some seemed to relish the prospect of trouble, like they were looking forward to going in mob handed, while others seemed more hesitant, like they hoped to see the dinner go by without incident.

Troy looked to a table, seeing his friends sitting down, and nodded in their direction. Noah saw the signal, and sighed.

"I really hate this plan." He commented. He pulled out his I-phone, and tapped a few keys. All at once, almost half the students in the canteen found their I-phones going off. Noah just put away his phone away before anyone could see it. The Prefects started to move as there was a stir among the students.

"Look at this...have...have you seen this?" One of the students called out in anger. "Have you seen these rules?"

"Settle down, this is a dinner hall just..." Billy saw what was on the phone. It was a list of all the new rules that the Prefects had to enforce.

"No phones, laptops, tablets or notebooks to be used within the school grounds? All use of computer lab equipment will only be granted by written permission from a staff member." The student called out, keeping his phone out of reach as he read it. "All internet activity will be monitored, and all sites deemed not educational will be prohibited?"

"You read it, no phones!" Billy snapped, trying to take the phone off him. Other students got in on the action, reading the list from their own phones.

"Prefects will have the right to confiscate student property?" Another student ranted. "These aren't rules for safety, this is a dictatorship!"

"Alright, settle down!" Calvin yelled as he and Dirk tried in vain to settle some of the more vocal student. "I'm sure the Principal will be willing to discuss..."

"He hasn't discussed ANYTHING!" A girl yelled as she stood up on a table. "He hasn't even given Mr Burley a fair hearing yet! He's too busy turning this place into his own little ego trip!"

"That is enough!" Billy stated, turning back to the first student. "You know the rules, no phones. Put them away or they will be confiscated."

He reached out a hand.

"Starting with yours!" He announced. The student just sneered.

"I'd like to see you try it pretty boy!" He answered. Billy went for the phone, knowing there were other prefects, but he misjudged the ill-feeling in the room. The student shoved him roughly to the floor, at which the Prefects and students found themselves descending into yet another brawl.

Troy pulled back, and opened the doors, letting some of the more sensible students escape the chaos. As he stood there though, he just cast an eye around the room, looking for his targets. He hated this plan too, but he couldn't think of any other way to see the suspects fight without attacking them himself, something he was sure would only land him a suspension or expulsion.

Billy, for all his bravery and bravado, quickly proved himself to be far from courageous when forced to back up his behaviour. He covered up, and pulled away; seeming to be more worried about messing up his face and his hair than performing the duties he had been assigned to keep the other students safe. He hid behind others, letting them take all the risks. The few attacks he did throw were nothing other than shoves to clear him space to run. Troy shook his head. It was with a sigh of relief that he could cross one more suspect off the list. Billy was in no way the kind of person he would think suitable for the responsibility of harnessing the powers of the Robo Knight.

Calvin was performing his duties admirably. He wasn't trying to hurt anyone, but when he needed to, he was quick to drag a student away from another before they were too seriously hurt. He watched for a while, before shaking his head. Calvin was no Martial Artist. He was more of a brawler. He hadn't had much need to fight in his bullying days; normally one look at Dirk was enough to convince them not to take any chances. Although he wasn't the worst option, he did not have the skill he had seen the Robo Knight use in the field.

Spike...Troy was astounded by what he saw. Spike took great pains to avoid fighting anyone, but when he saw someone in danger, he didn't hesitate to act. He moved incredibly quickly, and with technique that had to have been taught. Troy recognised much of the style, though bits of it threw him. Spike brought down one student, and hooked him into a painful arm lock, pinning him to the floor until others came to help him. He was taking care not to hurt anyone too much, just restrain them. He had a feeling that he was on the right track. Spike certainly had the skill, but he wasn't certain yet.

Looking over to where Jordan was, he found that he had been cut off from the others. By virtue of looking for the best view point, he had managed to find himself isolated from the others, and was now quickly finding himself surrounded by students who didn't care who he was. He was wearing a Prefects' t-shirt, meaning he was a legitimate target.

Troy started trying to push his way in his direction, hoping to get to him before it was too late. As he made his way over though, he saw Jordan holding his own.

He had talked to him briefly, and Jordan had told him that he did karate. He had even seen some of his moves before when the Rangers challenged him to perform one of their training routines to demonstrate how difficult it was to be a Ranger. He had been unable to perform a basic manoeuvre, but thinking back, he remembered that it had been one of their gymnastic manoeuvres that eluded him. His actual Martial Arts skills were, as far as he could remember, quite competent.

Seeing him now, he could see that they were more than competent. He had a very direct and brutal style, favouring practicality and the quick elimination of an opponent. He was surrounded, and fighting a desperate battle, and so had long since given up on being nice about bringing down opponents without hurting them too much. His own sensei had often told him that the pragmatic approach to combat was to ensure one's own safety by taking down an opponent as quickly as possible, concerning himself with their safety only once he was safe. This was especially true when surrounded by foes, unable to see all the attacks coming. The objective was to cut down the odds as quickly as possible.

Troy recognised the techniques Jordan used, but had been taught very differently. Jordan was fighting more pragmatically, more aggressively. He took a few hard shots by virtue of being surrounded, but in the end, he was doing a lot better than his opponents were. Eventually, the Principal came in, with the remaining Prefects and quickly quelled the violence. He called them all to order.

"Now, what is the meaning of this?" He demanded. "Never in all my years...who started this?"

"This one." Billy stated, coming over to the student that had shoved him. He snatched his phone away, and presented it to the principal. "He was mouthing off about this!"

"How did you get this?" The Principal demanded. He knew that the rules would not be popular, and had hoped to introduce them slowly, let them filter through the student body over time. Now though, it seemed someone had broken ranks. Someone had sent it out, seeking to incite trouble. He just sighed and shook his head. "My office, now!"

Billy grabbed the student and dragged him away. Troy hated the fact that someone was going to end up in trouble over this, but he didn't see any other way to encourage the kind of trouble he needed to in order to get the information he needed. The Principal saw Jordan, seeing his injuries and gestured to him.

"Go to the nurse, get yourself cleaned up." He stated, patting Jodan on the shoulder. "Good work young man."

He then rounded on the rest of the student body as Jordan left them.

"Well, now that you have seen this debacle, you will see why I saw fit to introduce these measures. You can all see how destructive dissent can be." He proclaimed loudly. "From this point on, these rules will be enforced without exception. If anyone seeks to destabilise this school like this again, they will find themselves in very serious trouble."

He looked around at the mess and just growled.

"Clean this up." He instructed the students. "I don't see why the janitorial staff should have a more troublesome day because some of you cannot behave yourselves. Make no mistake, this kind of behaviour will not be tolerated any further."

With that, he left the room, presumably to deal with the student who had been forced to accept responsibility for the trouble.

Gia turned to Jake, and gestured to an overturned table, getting his help to right it.

"Well Troy, I really hope this was worth it." Gia commented.

"I think so." He answered. "I think I know..."

Just then, they heard a scream from outside. Troy and the others got outside, finding some Loogies in the school yard, harassing some of the students who had escaped during the brawl. Jordan was out in the yard, having been on the way to the nurse when he heard the commotion. He was fighting with everything he had, giving the students time to get inside.

Troy could see though that his injuries were telling on him. One of the Loogies caught him across the ribs, sending him to one knee.

"We have to help him!" Gia called out as they arrived. As they ran towards him, they saw the Loogie raise its dagger. As it came down, Jordan reached up, and they heard a metallic ring. Stopping in his tracks, they saw an armoured gauntlet surrounding his hand.

Jordan looked up to the Loogie, smiling as segments of armour appeared around him, locking into place.

"You shouldn't have done that!" He stated, the helmet forming around him, revealing him to be the Robo Knight. "But don't worry; you won't live long enough to regret it!"


	23. Jordan's Dream Come True

Loogies flew left and right as the Robo Knight got to work. Jake, Gia, Noah, Emma and Troy all stood, watching the battle. Although some of them had started to come around to the conclusion, watching Jordan morphing into the Robo Knight had still been something of a shock.

Gia gestured to the gates as more Loogies started to pile into the schoolyard. By the time they morphed, and ran in to join him, the yard was filled with the creatures.

Noah began the fight with some of his opponents, and was somewhat thankful to see a couple of prefects shutting the doors and bolting them. He doubted it would keep the Loogies out of the school for long if they made a concerted effort to get in, but it would at least keep them away from the students for a little while. However, quickly afterwards, he saw faces pressing up against the glass of the many windows, together with a few camera phones.

"Guys, we've got a captive audience." Noah stated, jerking his head in the direction of the school. "We've got to finish this before..."

Before he could finish, a creature soared through the air, and landed on the ground, sending broken concrete flying up around it. They all turned to see the new arrival as it stood up. It was almost seven feet tall, eight from the tip of its nose to the tip of its tail, and so hugely muscled that it looked like it had to weigh over six hundred pounds. It was covered in black fur, with a couple of white stripes running from its snout, over its head, through its eyes, and all the way down its back, and along its tail. It was wearing a rough, home-made waist-coat and shorts made out of some form of animal hide. As it stood, it pointed a clawed hand straight at Jordan.

"You!" It snarled in a deep, feral tone as he disposed of some more Loogies. "You're the one that destroyed my friend Psychotick!"

"I guess I am." Jordan replied, turning to face the creature. Since gaining control over the Robo Knight technology, he had made the decision to use it to help the city where he could. He had been a helpless passenger before, when it took over and fought the earlier monsters. He had seen the danger it had caused with its reckless disregard for anything around it. He saw the monster before him though, and another feeling washed over him. The technology constantly relayed information to him, power levels chiefly among them. He knew that this creature was the most powerful thing in the schoolyard. He smiled a little as it rounded on him. Jordan had trained in Martial Arts for self defence, but he had started in his youth in Stone Canyon. There, they regularly showed news reels of the Power Rangers. As the years went by, and he moved around the country, he spent all his time and money following whichever team was currently in action. It had always been his dream to be a superhero, to be a Ranger himself. Now, now that he was in control of the Robo Knight, this was his chance. "Come and get it!"

The monster snarled and ran for him, at which the two fell upon each other in a ferocious battle. Troy and Emma were fighting a little way off.

"What is that thing?" Troy asked.

"It looks kind of like a badger." Emma informed him. "I've seen a couple of dens on my nature walks. One of them must have set up home near the old plant."

"So, you think it's a Toxic Mutant?" Troy asked. Just then, Robo Knight hit the creature with a hard elbow, sending a couple of teeth flying, together with a spray of blood. He shook his head. "Never mind, it's a mutant."

"It said Psychotick was his friend." Emma continued. "He must have been feeding on this guy while he was drinking the chemicals."

"So, how dangerous would you say badgers are?" Troy asked her.

"Put it this way, badgers quite regularly move into fox dens, and the foxes just let them." Emma responded, taking down some more Loogies with her blaster. "Mainly because the foxes know it'd tear them apart if they tried to evict it."

"Guys, Robo Knight looks like he's got his hands full." Troy called out. "Let's finish this up and get..."

With a huge yell, the badger monster ran at Robo Knight, driving its shoulder deep into his abdomen. It continued to run, smashing him through a wall and into the school.

"Shit!" Jake called out. "That's just what we need, innocent bystanders!"

At that moment, inside the school, the staff and prefects had filed the students into classrooms for their own safety. It was something of a struggle, considering the fact there was a Ranger battle going on just outside, and most of them were more interested in seeing that than their own safety. Lauren and Jeremy had only just been able to round up a group in Mr Burley's class to keep them from harm's way. It was unfortunate that it was on the ground floor, but it was the best they could do given the chaos in the corridors when the battle began.

"Wow, did you see that?" One of the kids called out. "The Red Ranger is just awesome!"

"Dude, anyone can see that the Black Ranger's the most badass." Another kid stated with a little smile. "But check out Yellow! She has a seriously awesome..."

"Get down!" Lauren called out, grabbing a couple of students as the Robo Knight was body-checked clean into the classroom. The badger monster carried on with the charge, driving him through the wall on the other side. A couple of other crashes alerted Lauren to the fact that he had gone further. She got up, and saw the students lying in dust and rubble. Some of them got up and started running through the hole in the wall.

"Wait, stop!" Lauren called out. Jeremy helped her up. "Keep the rest here!"

She ran after them, a task that wasn't particularly difficult since the path they left was kind of obvious. She found herself in the canteen, where a few of the students were hiding nearby so they could see what was happening in the battle. Lauren ran across, and slid into cover by them, coming to rest by Cat.

"What the hell are you doing? Do you want to be killed?" Lauren snapped at them.

"We wanted to see this!" One of the male students stated as he continued to film the battle. "This is better than pay-per-view!"

"Did you not just see them run through four brick walls?" Lauren asked him in response. "What makes you think an overturned wooden table's going to save you?"

"Um..." None of them had thought about that part. Cat though just watched the battle, scribbling something down on a pad. She made a few noises that indicated her excitement as she did so.

A blast flew a little way past them, and Lauren grabbed the students, forcing them to the floor, lying on top of them to keep them down.

In the middle of the canteen, Jordan and the badger were trading blows. Even through the armour, the blows were so hard that Jordan could feel them. He rolled to his feet a little way off, and gathered his bearings. Despite the pain, despite everything else, he couldn't stop smiling. This was what his life had been leading up to. This was what he had always dreamed of. He got to his feet, drawing his Robo Blade.

The badger started throwing furniture, launching tables and chairs his way. Jordan just knew as each one came how to avoid or destroy it, the information being fed straight into his instincts by the armour. Debris flew in all directions as he rushed the creature, swiping his sword. It screamed as he carved a couple of deep cuts across its chest, before grabbing it.

"Thanks for the little flight!" Jordan called out. "Let me return the favour!"

He spun around, launching the creature through the serving station, and the wall behind it, taking it into the kitchen. The creature struggled to get up, but was greeted by a flying kick which punted it straight through the wall, and into the parking lot out back. It landed on a green, wood-panelled station wagon, leaving it a wreck. Jordan leapt high into the air, and drove his knees down into its ribcage with a sickening crunch. It looked up to see his Vulcan Cannon at the ready.

He pulled the trigger, obliterating the creature's head. It was a hard fight, and he had been in enough full-contact sparring bouts to know he would be feeling this for days, but he felt a sense of accomplishment. He had done what he always wanted to; he was finally one of the heroes he had looked up to his whole life.

"Robo Knight!" Troy called out as the Rangers ran around the building to find him. He smiled and turned to face them.

"He's done for now." Jordan declared proudly. "No need to thank me..."

"Thank you?" Jake asked. "Um...don't you see a little problem here?"

Jordan looked to where Jake was pointing over his shoulder with a thumb. He saw the school with a gaping hole in the wall, and into the ruin that used to be the kitchen and canteen. His smile slipped as he realised what they were talking about. In the midst of his fight, in his enthusiasm to take his place as a Ranger, he had lost sight of what was going on around him. He had laid waste to a significant portion of the school in his fight. Lauren was standing in the hole, where some students were gathering, looking out. He just rubbed the back of his head.

"Oh...um..." He started to stammer in his tinny, mechanically altered voice. "Sorry?"

Just then, they saw Zombats descending, and knew what was coming. They attached themselves to the corpse of the monster Jordan had destroyed seconds before.

"I'll..."

"I think you've done enough for now." Troy stated. "Just...wait here while we deal with this. We have a lot we need to talk about."

Jordan just went over to a stone bench, and sat down, waiting for the others like a scolded schoolchild. He wanted to help, he was desperate to be a part of the team, to make amends for everything that had happened before, but in his first outing, he had almost brought down a whole building on a bunch of helpless kids. He looked at the false face staring back at him in a puddle and stomped on it in rage. He had screwed up, and he knew it. He had to wonder if he deserved to wear the armour. He looked up to see an explosion in the distance, and the Zords flying away. The Rangers were the real heroes.

The Blue Ranger came to him, gesturing him inside.

"The others are setting up a distraction." Noah told him. "We'll need to move quick if you're to get out of this armour without being seen."

"What are you...?"

"No one will have paid too much attention to where anyone was during the battle, but now, the school will do a roll call." Noah reminded him. "They'll want to know where all the students are."

"What makes you think...?"

"I saw you armour up Jordan." Noah replied. Jordan just sighed as he followed Noah. They hid just out of sight, before Noah de-morphed. Jordan's armour segmented, and disappeared back inside his body.

"Wow, I can't even get the whole secret identity thing right." He grumbled.

"Believe me; it takes some getting used to." Noah assured him. After a moment, a side door opened, and Emma waved them in. "Alright, that's our cue."

Jordan just followed Noah inside, knowing that soon enough; the others would confront him about the whole situation. It would be the second time he had been chewed out by the Power Rangers for acting without thinking. At least the first time though, he had only put himself in danger by trying to fight a monster without any form of weaponry or powers. This time though, he had endangered everyone around him. It was a conversation he wasn't looking forward to.

Moments later, they were all outside in the front parking lot, surrounded by emergency vehicles. Fire services checked the building to see if it was in danger of fire, and look for any missing kids, while the ambulance teams looked for any injuries among the students. Fortunately, there weren't many serious injuries. Mostly it was bumps and bruises, with one kid having a broken leg from where he fell down some stairs as he ran in a panic to get out of the building. In the battle though, nobody had really suffered much in the way of injuries, a miracle in and of itself.

Given the damage to the school building, the principal had called a full evacuation. Since many of the brick walls were damaged, they had to wait on a building inspector to check that the building was safe. Many of the students were already rejoicing at the prospect of a long weekend, since it was doubtful they would be allowed back in the following day. Thursday to Monday, a four day weekend, that sounded like a very good thing to a lot of students.

The principal read out a roll call, much as Noah had predicted. There was no way anyone could have known where any of the kids were at any time during the chaos, so the Rangers had an alibi. They knew it would just have been assumed they were somewhere in the building, even if no one could remember where. Many kids had been found hiding in storage cupboards, empty classrooms...anywhere they could close a door and feel safe. Others had been so busy rushing around to find windows where they could see the battle, they lost track of where their friends were. The Principal finished his roll call, and looked up to the students as the first of many cars arrived.

"Your families have all been called to come and collect you." The Principal announced. "I will keep you all posted on the progress and when we expect you to return, or if you will be assigned to other schools. You are dismissed."

As the students started to head for their families, Jordan came face-to-face with Troy and Jake. Troy, being one of Jordan's only friends, didn't seem to be particularly upset, but Jake...well, he was clearly angry about the way things had gone down thanks to Jordan's involvement.

"Get to the Brainfreeze tomorrow." Troy told him. "We'll be there at midday."

"But..."

"There's a lot we need to talk about, but we won't be able to do it tonight." Troy insisted. "Brainfreeze, tomorrow, we'll let you in on the full picture."

"Wait what?" Jordan asked. "But...what about...?"

"Do you know how to get that suit out of you?" Troy asked him. Jordan shook his head. "Well, in that case, I guess we have to show you the way things work. Welcome to the team."

As he oversaw the students leaving, the principal saw a couple of cars arriving, and parking up. As a couple of men in suits, including Mr Goodall arrived, he rolled his eyes. In the chaos, he had completely forgotten about the meeting. The directors and the PTA were meeting to discuss the situation with Mr Burley. Just to complete the picture, the old Science teacher arrived. All of them stared at the scene of destruction before them.

"I'm sorry, I didn't get a chance to call and re-schedule." He began. "I..."

"I think I've seen enough." Mr Goodall cut him off. "I know which way my vote's going."

"Mr Goodall..."

"I'm afraid that I really don't see any need to re-schedule." One of the directors stated. "I think this little incident just proves that there really aren't any truly safe places in the city."

"But...but Mr Burley..."

"Mr Burley got parental consent to take the students to that site. Every one of those kids had a signed consent form. The fact they were attacked was beyond his control." Mr Goodall said, looking to the principal.

"But...he took them..."

"Principal Andrews, I'm sure you're not trying to say that Mr Burley could have KNOWN that monsters would attack that site are you?" Mr Goodall asked him, stepping closer. "After all, if you are saying that someone can know when they'll be attacked, and your students were attacked here, then I presume if you're calling for Mr Burley's resignation, then we can expect yours as well?"

The principal just took a deep breath. It was a good point, one that wasn't lost on him. While he was using the incident to push through many of his controversial and unpopular rules on the grounds of 'keeping the students safe', in one afternoon, all of those rules had been proven to be completely ineffective. The monsters still came, and the school was still defenceless against it.

"For what it's worth, both of us lived in Panorama during their attacks." Jeremy stated, pointing to himself and Lauren. "There really isn't any safe place."

"It's not like we can put up a monster-proof forcefield around the place." Lauren added, causing Jeremy to struggle to hold in a laugh. Back in the day, the Samurai had managed just that with the Shiba House. Of course, it wasn't like the Board of Directors could have known that.

"I think we've made our decision." One of the directors stated. "Mr Burley, stick close to your phone. When we know when the building is re-opening, we'll need our science teacher back."

"But...the parents!" Mr Burley stated.

"It's like Mr Goodall said, if this incident proves anything it's that no place is completely safe. Sadly, things like this will happen." The director told him. "I'm sure that there will be some resistance, but I'm sure we can explain that to the parents."

"Well, thank you!" Mr Burley called out, shaking his hand. "I...of course I'll come back!"

"Congratulations." Principal Andrews said, somewhat abruptly, shaking Mr Burley's hand, before walking away. Mr Goodall just looked to the others.

"Now, if that's all, I have a couple of girls waiting in my car that I think would like to get home." He stated. "I'll see you all later."

As the others left, Jeremy just held Lauren closely.

"Well, I guess we just talked ourselves out of a job." He sighed. "I suppose that means we get to go home. Once we..."

"It's alright, we've solved that mystery." Lauren answered. "I know who he is."

"You saw him?" Jeremy asked. Lauren just shook her head.

"No, but I saw someone showing some familiar feelings." Lauren told him, gesturing to where Jordan was getting into a car and heading home. "He looked really disappointed in himself after the battle. I know what it's like being the team screw-up."

"But...you..."

"I got there, but it took a while." Lauren stated. "Seeing how he reacted to this, I'm sure whatever the others say to him won't be nearly as much as how he punishes himself and pushes himself to get better. I'm sure the city's in good hands."

"So...we go home?" Jeremy asked her. Lauren just smiled.

"There's no need to hurry." She told him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Panorama will still be there on Monday."

"So, what do we do for the rest of the weekend?" He asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"I have some ideas." She assured him as they walked away.


	24. Jordan's Introduction

The following morning, the Rangers were opting, much like the rest of the students at Harwood County High School to take advantage of an unexpected free day. The school had been wrecked on the Wednesday, meaning that it would at very least be a full day before the building inspector was certain what remained was safe to work on. Presuming it was, and building work could begin, it would be at least two or three days before it was safe to allow students into the building. The details were still up in the air, but the administration had promised that by Monday, one way or another, the students would have somewhere to attend classes. Of course to the average high school student, all they heard from that was "four day weekend".

Unlike other students though, the Rangers weren't planning how to waste away their day with leisure pursuits. Taking advantage of the time to go to arcades, or the cinemas, or even the park, the Rangers had something far more important to do. They had set aside the day for an induction of sorts for Jordan.

It was a situation that none of them were really prepared for. The Rangers now knew that Jordan was the Robo Knight, and that he was now in control of the armour. They no longer had to worry about the Robo Knight going rogue against his will. Now that Jordan was in charge, he could decide how the technology was used. That only left one issue. Now they needed to make sure he was brought up to speed with how the Ranger thing worked.

As he made his way to Ernie's, Jordan felt a mix of emotions. He was disappointed in his first outing as a superhero. He had managed to get the job done, he had destroyed the monster. However, in the process he had all but completely levelled the school. There were just over two hundred kids at the school, and there were dozens of staff in the school as well. All of them were in the building. If it had come down, all of them would have been trapped at best, or possibly worse. He had endangered everyone he was there to protect.

Still, there was a part of him that was excited. He had found out who the Rangers were when Vrak and Psychotik had tried to reprogram the Robo Knight Armour. He had known who they were, and only kept his identity from them because he was determined to make up for all the things he had done under the armour's influence before he let them know who he was. He wanted to prove himself to them before offering to join the team. He had always looked up to the Rangers. He had followed their battles ever since the first time he had seen the Angel Grove team in the news back when he lived in Stone Canyon. He had always dreamed of becoming a Ranger. When he had been called out for destroying the school, Troy had ended by arranging to meet up with him to straighten a few things out. He couldn't help being excited; he was finally going to be on the team.

As he arrived at the Brainfreeze, he saw the others waiting for him. He made his way over as they gestured to him to take a seat. Troy leaned in, ready to begin.

"Right, we all know why we're here." He started, trying to figure out a way through this induction. He kind of understood where Jordan was coming from. While the others had started to get used to the Ranger thing, it was a pretty sharp learning curve to take. Although the others had understandably expressed deep concerns over Jordan's involvement in the war, he had to be pragmatic. The Robo Knight's power was a weapon that they could ill afford to just shelve without trying to bring him on board. On the other hand, Jordan had stumbled into some very powerful and dangerous weaponry. If he couldn't be taught how to wield it without turning every battle into a blast zone, then it would be safe for all involved if he was convinced to stay on the sidelines. "Jordan, if you are going to be part of this, there are some things you need to know."

"I know I messed up." Jordan told sighed as he looked around at the group. "I'm sorry, I just...I really want so badly to make up for everything that happened before I got control. I knew that you were all mad, I knew you hated what the Robo Knight had done, so I..."

"Kayfabe." Emma stated, at which they all fell silent. Jordan just looked confused.

"Kayfabe? What's that supposed to...?"

"Ah, my favourite customers!" Ernie said with a huge smile. Jordan just put his face in his hands and shook his head as he realised that it was obviously some kind of signal they used to indicate someone who didn't know about them was coming so they would stop talking.

"We'll have two extra large banana smoothies, two strawberry, one mango and..." Troy gestured to Jordan, who realised he was intending for him to order.

"Um...make mine orange." He stated.

"To go." Troy stated. "We're heading out to the woods; we've got some stuff we need to do."

"Coming right up." Ernie replied with a smile, going to collect their order. Troy looked to Jordan.

"Right, point number one, we take the secret identity thing seriously." He said abruptly. "The way you morphed in front of us...that was kind of careless."

"But I was under attack..."

"One of the few things that keeps the people we care about safe, and lets us have ordinary lives is the fact no one knows who we are." Noah explained. "If you think it sucks having to sneak around, just imagine what it'd be like trying to get around with the paparazzi camped outside your door 24/7."

"How do you think your parents would feel if they knew you were running off to a war zone on a daily basis?" Jake asked him. "I know my mom practically has kittens when I play a soccer match. If she knew I was running towards those monsters instead of away..."

"Alright, I get it. I can't morph in front of people." Jordan sighed. "So, what do you guys do?"

"We find somewhere to change out of sight." Gia answered. "If we can, we try to morph before we get to the battlefield."

"Also, for future reference, when we say Kayfabe..."

"That's the signal to shut up cause someone's coming, got it." Jordan answered. "So, where are we going?"

"The woods eventually." Troy told him. "There's a place we go to train..."

"That place with all the bottles?" He asked them, remembering the time they had gotten him to try and copy one of their moves.

"The bottles are gone, long since recycled. Thanks for the help for that by the way!" Emma said, giving the others a hard glare. She had gone back later to collect the bottles for recycling, but the others had all gone their separate ways, leaving her to do it alone. It was something she still occasionally cast up to them. "But yes, very few people head into the woods these days, even less since the Warstar and the Toxic Mutants showed up."

"But first, if you are going to be part of the team, we need to introduce you to our mentor." Troy told him. "We're going to take you to the command centre."

"You're kidding right?" He asked, a huge grin on his face. He had loved comic books, and had admired superheroes his whole life, the Rangers above all. Now, he wasn't just being brought onto a team, they were going to take him to their headquarters. It was like Superman giving him his own set of keys to the Fortress of Solitude or The Watchtower. "You're taking me to the command centre?"

"You didn't think we operate out of a garage or something did you?" Noah asked him. "Where do you think we'd have room to hide eighty foot Zords?"

"Kayfabe." Noah whispered. They all fell silent as Ernie came back. He was carrying a lot more than they had ordered.

"Um...Ernie?" Troy asked. "What is all this?"

"You said you were going to the woods, I thought you could use some snacks." Ernie told them. "There are some sandwiches and cookies in there. They're out of date to sell, but they're still good. I'm sure Emma here would agree it's better that some use comes out of it than it just gets thrown away."

"I guess so." Emma replied as Troy handed Ernie the money for the smoothies. "Thanks Ernie."

"It's really great to see you feeling better." Gia said as she patted Ernie's shoulder. He just smiled.

"Have fun!" He called after them as they all got up and left. Jordan just looked to the huge packed lunch Ernie had given them.

"What gives?" Jordan asked. Troy just shrugged.

"We're in here all the time. He often gives us little extras." Troy replied. "So, like I said, we need to keep things under wraps, so we'll take you somewhere we won't be seen, and then we'll teleport to the Command Centre."

As they left, Ernie just smiled.

"Well, I guess Jordan got his wish after all." Ernie said with a shake of the head. "They can use all the help they can get. Good luck Jordan."

A little while later, Jordan and the Rangers appeared in the Command Centre in a flash of light. Jordan looked around with a childish glee as he saw the walls lined with Ranger figurines, and the computer consoles.

"Oh man, this is so AWESOME!" He shrieked in excitement as he went to one of the consoles. "Where is this place?"

"It's built into a cliff on an island about thirty miles from the city." Noah informed him. "The teleporter makes travelling a breeze."

"Wow, this stuff is amazing!" Jordan stated as he started to play with one of the consoles, seeing the functions available. "I can see pretty much anything on here!"

"If you think that's impressive, you should see what Tensou has in the lab." Noah assured him.

"Tensou?" Jordan asked. Right on cue, the robot whizzed into view.

"I'm Tensou." The robot told him. Jordan just looked at the robot and smiled.

"Your mentor is a fully functioning automated robot?" He said, stroking Tensou's head. "That is so...OW!"

"He doesn't like being touched much." Noah explained as Tensou shocked him.

"Why do you humans feel the irrepressible need to touch everything?" Tensou grumbled. "And no, I'm not the mentor."

"So...who's the boss?" Jordan asked.

"I am!" Gosei boomed, causing the room to shake slightly. Jordan turned around, seeing the face in the wall.

"You...you're the mentor?" He asked. He then turned to the others. The look on his face said so much. "Seriously, you guys have been taking orders from a giant Tiki doll for months?"

Jake, Noah, Gia and Emma all just face palmed. Troy shrugged his shoulders.

"If you remember our reaction was pretty much the same." Troy reminded them.

"I am Eltarian, a being from beyond your solar system." Gosei told him. "I take this form to communicate with humans."

"A giant face in a wall?" He asked again, before realising that the others were taking this seriously. He didn't really know what to make of it, but the others had been doing this for a lot longer than him. If they trusted him, then he figured maybe he should as well.

"Gosei, this is Jordan. He's the Robo Knight." Troy introduced him. Jordan stepped forward, at which Gosei analysed him.

"Jordan, the technology you wield is a legacy of my mentor Zordon." He told him. "You have the power of all three of the Ranger elements, Air, Land and Sea at your command. It is some of the most powerful weapons technology ever created."

"Yeah...I kinda got that part." Jordan told him.

"This technology could be a great boon to us, but only if it can be harnessed." Gosei continued. "If you are to join this team, understand that it is a tremendous responsibility. You will be responsible for the safety and security of the world. You must put the welfare of the Earth above your own at all times. You must be willing to set aside your wishes and desires, and you must be prepared to sacrifice yourself for the good of the world as my mentor once did. Are you ready for this responsibility?"

Jordan thought about it for a moment. Up until now, he had been focused on how amazing it felt to finally have the power to make his dream of becoming a super hero come true, but hearing Gosei speak, he could feel in his heart how serious this all was. He was expected to put his life on the line, and if the time came, to sacrifice it for the world. He looked up to Gosei.

"Whatever I have to do, I'll do it." Jordan answered. "Whatever you have to teach me, I'm ready for it."

"We'll take it from here Gosei." Troy assured him. "Tensou, send us to the woods. The usual spot."

A moment later, they appeared back in the woods just outside Harwood County. Troy turned to Jordan and approached him.

"Right, you clearly have some moves, but we just need to get you to fight a little..."

At that point, they heard a bleep. Gia pulled out her I-phone and saw she had an E-mail. She smiled as she saw it.

"Um...you guys can handle this without me right?" She asked.

"I...guess so." Troy said as he looked to her curiously. "I was kind of hoping..."

"Thanks, I'll see you later!" Gia called out as she gathered her things and left in a hurry. Noah just shook his head.

"What do you suppose that was about?" He asked, looking to Emma. She shrugged.

"Hey, I don't know everything about her." Emma stated. "We might be best friends, but it's not like I spend every minute of every day with her."

"Whatever, let's get started." Troy said as he finished marking out a circle. "This is a little exercise in controlling a fight. If you remember, one of the things that caused the most problems in your last fight was that you brought it into a place where there were innocent bystanders. You have to try and control the battle, keep it contained so that you can limit the number of victims."

"To just us you mean." Jordan surmised. Troy just nodded as he threw Jordan a pair of MMA gloves.

"You don't think we wear those suits for fun do you?" He asked. "You might be able to go through a brick wall without breaking anything, but most people can't."

"If it's a toss up between one of us taking a shot and a kid, we have the suits, and you have that sick armour." Jake reminded him. "You have a better shot of walking away from a fight than the rest of the city does."

"Here's how the exercise works." Troy told him, gesturing to the others. Emma, Noah and Jake all stood at points around the circle, outside of it. "You have to fight me, a finishing blow or a tap out to win. There are just two other rules."

"Which are?" Jordan asked.

"At times, I'll try to leave the circle, or go after one of the others." He explained. "If I do either, you lose. If you end up outside the ring, or hit one of the others, you lose." Troy told him. Jordan strapped on the gloves, as Troy did the same. "Are you clear on the rules?"

"Yeah." Jordan replied. "Ready when you are!"

Meanwhile, elsewhere, Gia managed to find herself somewhere quiet, checking that she was alone before pulling out the phone. She opened it, pulling up her e-mail. The new message was from Cat, entitled "latest issue".

She smiled, seeing that Cat had taken her up on her suggestion. She had, as agreed, pulled down the stories and comics she had written. In some ways, Gia felt a little guilty about the fact she had convinced her to do it when she only really wanted to prevent anyone taking them too seriously and asking questions about the team, but the concerns she relayed to Cat were valid. While it wasn't an option for Gia, no one knew about Cat yet, and she wasn't ready to come out. Keeping up the comics, given the fact they were written under the same username as her account on the Harwood Flagship, a site for gay and bisexual students, increased the chances that someone would figure out it was her and open her up to the same abuse Gia had faced when she had been outed.

Opening the E-mail, Gia read it.

"Hey, I know I haven't done one in a while, but here's the latest issue. Let me know what you think 'kay?"

Gia let out a little half-laugh. Cat wrote exactly how she talked in her e-mails. Opening the attachment, she started to scroll through the panels. As usual, the work was excellent. She was a gifted artist with a vivid imagination. In this issue, there was the first appearance of the Robo Knight.

Part of the story troubled her. She had Robo Knight fighting the badger monster in a school canteen. It was almost frame for frame exactly what had happened in the school. The only way Cat could have known was if she had been in the canteen. Had she really followed them and put herself in danger just to get ideas for a comic she knew only Gia would ever read?

She scrolled through, getting to the final images. In it, the Red Ranger, in Cat's comics depicted as Gia, approached the Robo Knight, pulling off her helmet.

"Thanks for the help." Gia read her character saying. "But...who are you?"

"I'm someone you know." Robo Knight said, pulling off his helmet. Long, red hair fell down the back of the armour. In the next frame, the face was exposed. It was a self portrait of Cat.

"You?" Gia's character asked. "But...why? Why do this? Why take the risk?"

"For the same reason I did everything else." Cat said, approaching and placing her hand on Gia's face. "I wanted to protect you, because..."

Gia got to the final frame, where Gia and Cat kissed, with the banner reading "to be continued?" She closed up her phone, and put it away. She had already figured out that Cat liked her. Since she had agreed to be her study buddy at the field trip, Cat had bombarded her with calls and texts desperate to know when she would be around. She had seen her around the school constantly, and spoken to her a few times. When she figured out that it was Cat who created the comics, she knew that a large part of her motivation was her worship of her. This though was a pretty direct message. It was Cat's way of laying her cards on the table and letting her know she wanted more.

Gia didn't know how to feel. She liked Cat as a person. She was creative, she was fun, she was a little different...quirky didn't even begin to cover it. That said, she wasn't sure if she could see Cat as a partner. She had only even known Cat for a couple of weeks, not to mention that for so long, for almost five years, her heart had been so focused on Emma, she didn't know of a world beyond her. Although she had resigned herself to the fact that nothing would ever happen with Emma. She just didn't know if she was ready to even think of anyone else yet.

She sat back against a tree, and rested her head against it, closing her eyes and asking the same thing all the others seemed to be asking constantly. When did things stop being simple? Why id life have to be so damned hard?


	25. Training a Knight

Jordan hit the ground, but rolled immediately back to his feet. Troy couldn't help but be impressed. While his style certainly wasn't as flamboyant as many he had seen, it did seem to hold some merit. He could see from the way he moved that he had trained long enough to have instincts that rivalled some of the people he had trained with and competed against over the years. He pretty much never remained on his back, or on the ground at all for any length of time, unless it was to defend against an attempt at a submission.

He had already identified Shotokan Karate as one of the influences of his style, and he seemed to take a certain element from Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, but other than that, it was so blurred it was difficult to pinpoint. All he knew was that his balance was excellent, and his instinctual focus on his opponent was like a laser-guided missile. He ran forward, and launched into a flying side-kick, which Jordan side-stepped. It was only as he heard a cry that he turned and saw Jake staggering away with yet another foot-print on his hoodie.

"Dude, seriously?" Jake demanded, rounding on Jordan. "Do you have something against me or something?"

Jordan just looked around at the team. All of them had some measure of dust or dirt on their clothing, and they were nursing a few bruises from the circle exercise. Troy had a way of misdirecting him and catching him off his game that meant he was able to exploit the other rules of the contest. He was not to allow Troy to leave the circle, or attack any of the other Rangers. It was something Jordan had never really been taught. His tutors had always taught him a brutal, and focused method of fighting, namely that the best way to keep himself safe from an attacker was to focus on them, only on them, and take them down as quickly as humanly possible regardless of what he had to do to accomplish that. He punched the ground in frustration.

"Come ON! Seriously?" He demanded. "How the hell was I meant to stop that?"

"You need to find a way." Troy told him. "The fact is, we don't have the luxury of fighting in a dojo where the only people around are people who know the risks. There will be people around, people who are frightened, people who may not always act in the most sensible way. Some will be frozen by fear, and it may not occur to them to run away. Some will run, but be so blinded by panic that they might run in exactly the wrong direction at the wrong time. You have to be ready for all of that."

"Well, what if I take down the guy in a minute flat?" Jordan asked him. "What if I take him down before...?"

"Can you guarantee you're always going to be better than your opponent?" Troy asked him. Jordan just sighed and shook his head. While his technique was aggressive, his tutors also taught him that any fight carried an inherent risk. He was always taught that as good as he was, as strong or as fast as he could be, he couldn't guarantee the outcome of any battle. It was possible that his opponent knew more than he did. It was possible they would be a little faster, or a little stronger. Hell, all it took was for him to be unlucky, for his opponent to surprise him and the fight could be over, especially if the guy was armed. "Besides, so far this exercise has been pretty tame. I've simplified it for your first outing."

"Wait, this is easy?" Jordan asked him. Troy just nodded.

"Same rules, only with one difference." He stated, snapping his fingers. At that, Noah, Jake and Emma all started running around and through the circle. Jordan just groaned, realising that things would not be standing still, where he could keep an eye on them.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding." Jordan grumbled as Emma and Noah started screaming to add realism to the exercise. Troy just shook his head.

"Do I look like I'm joking?" Troy asked. "Begin!"

Jordan ran to intercept him as Troy lunged for Noah, grabbing him and shoving him away, before adopting a guard.

In another part of town, Gia wandered through the town mindlessly. There were a lot of kids milling around as a result of the school being out for the foreseeable future, but she couldn't take any mind. She didn't even take any notice when some of the kids saw her and started throwing nasty remarks her way. While other things had taken some of the heat off her, and the news of her outing was old to some, more than a few people still felt the need to keep going on about it. She had at one time been "the Queen of Harwood", and the fact that she had been brought down from that to a more mortal level in the eyes of others meant that some who had been in her shadow, and even some who had very vocal objections to homosexuality still wouldn't let it go.

She didn't notice today though. After the e-mail she received from Cat, she didn't know where she was, or what she was going to do. She liked Cat; well...she liked her as a person. She was kind of ditzy, more than a little quirky; sometimes she had to wonder if her mind was firing on all cylinders. She was spacey, and she seemed to bounce around with the enthusiasm of a six-year-old with no real appreciation for the fact that most of the school thought she was a complete basket case.

That said, she had spent some time around her, and knew there was more to Cat than the red hair and the constant babble of nonsense. She had a sharp and really unique mind. She was artistic, creative, and if someone had the patience to listen to her for any length of time without tuning out, eventually some of the seemingly random crap that came out of her mouth actually started to make sense. It was a different, slightly skewed logic, but there was underneath it a level of insight that sometimes made Gia really think about what she was saying.

Gia had already figured out that Cat liked her, and more importantly, that she liked her more than just as a friend. When she had first made the connection between the comics and Cat through her username on the Harwood Flagship, the comic made a lot more sense. Cat had chosen Gia as the Red Ranger, purely through coincidence through a form of hero-worship. She had idolised her and held her on a pedestal as something she wished she could be.

Heading into the Brainfreeze, she heard someone calling out, and saw Mr Goodall sitting in some jeans and a sweatshirt. It was a little bit of a surprise, she was used to seeing him in a suit. Still, she went over and took a seat.

"I guess I'm not the only one enjoying a day off." He commented. As Gia stared at him blankly, he gestured to the side of his face which was still stitched up and heavily bruised. "After this, Emma insisted I'm not going to work at all until I recover."

"Really?" Gia asked, acting not in the least bit surprised. When Emma thought that her dad might be the Robo Knight, she was only hours away from needing to be sedated. Eric was Emma's only family. It horrified her to imagine the risk of losing him so much that she had treated the news it wasn't him with such elation that anyone would have thought she had had every one of her Christmases, every birthday, and won the lottery all at once.

"She even called my business partners and ordered them to ban me from the office." He chuckled. "I guess I can't blame her."

"She's not one to argue with when she gets a bee in her bonnet." Gia agreed, sitting with him. She looked to Ernie. "One cappuccino please?"

"Weren't you...?"

"Something came up." Gia told him. "Thanks Ernie."

"He's something special isn't he?" Mr Goodall asked.

"He really is." Gia said with a smile. "He took me in when no one else wanted to know."

"I have to admit, I didn't really come down here before." He continued. "It seemed kind of like a teenager place, but after the field trip, Ernie and I got talking, and...There's a lot more to him than meets the eye."

"He is really special." Gia agreed. Mr Goodall watched her for a second, before leaning forward.

"You know, you've never really been much of a coffee person." He commented. "In fact, if I remember, you only really drink it when you're thinking about something serious. It's your dad isn't it?"

Gia just shook her head. Her dad was now in police custody, and at present, he had been refused bail on the grounds of being a flight risk. None of the bail bond agencies had been in touch with an offer he could realistically afford given his current financial situation. So far, he was being held in the county jail while he awaited his court date.

"They've not even set a date yet." Gia informed him. Despite his insistence on supporting Gia, he respected her privacy enough that he would never open any mail addressed to her. The only way he'd know if the case began would be if Gia told him, or it appeared in the local media.

"So, what is it then?" He asked her. "Are the kids giving you a hard time at school?" Gia again just shook her head.

"It's...it's kind of connected to that." Gia admitted. She looked around to make sure no one was listening. "I kind of...got asked out."

"Oh." He answered, realising what she meant. He was alright with the fact Gia was gay. He had taken her in because she was so close to Emma that he considered her family. This did give him some difficulty however. He always knew that there were some things missing from his family since his wife had passed away. One of the reasons he thought so much of Gia was because she was a good, strong female influence on Emma. His wife had died when Emma was only 11, meaning that Emma had to grow up with certain questions he wasn't qualified to answer. It seemed that Gia was able to help her with those. However, the issue of dating was a difficult one. His own daughter had never really dated, and if he was honest, the whole same gender thing was something he really had no experience of. "Um...alright, well...how do you feel about it?"

"I don't know. Flattered I guess." Gia began. "I mean, so many people have been throwing so much shit my way, I guess...I guess it's nice to hear that someone thinks of me like that."

"That doesn't really tell me how you feel." Eric replied. Gia just breathed a sigh and looked to him. She didn't know how to really approach the subject. She owed Mr Goodall so much; the last thing she wanted was to turn him against her by admitting that she had been in love with his daughter for years.

"It's...complicated." Gia told him. "The thing is, I've kind of been hung up on someone else for a long time."

"You mean Emma." Eric replied. Gia just looked up, alarmed. "She does talk to me. She made sure I knew the score before she asked if you could move in."

He then just gestured to the side of his head.

"And even with your dad trying to cave in my skull with a brick, I can figure some stuff out for myself." He told her. "I figured it out when I heard about you."

"And you let me move in?" Gia asked. He just smiled.

"You and Emma mean the world to me." He told her flatly. "I remember having crushes on people that would never return those feelings. I was never worried. I know that you care about Emma too much to do anything she wasn't comfortable with."

"You don't know how much that means to me." Gia admitted, taking his hand.

"So...this other girl." Eric asked with a deep breath. "Who is she?"

"That's another thing that's complicated." Gia told him. "I'm the only one at school that knows...well...you know."

"She isn't ready to be out yet." He surmised. Gia just nodded.

"I figured it out, how...I really can't go into. I promised I'd not say anything until she was ready." Gia started to explain. "I haven't even told Emma about her."

"That has to be a first." Eric said semi-sarcastically. The only thing Gia had kept from Emma in all the time she had known her was her sexuality, and the changing feelings she had for her. In general, she told Emma everything. The fact she was willing to keep this from Emma was an indication of how serious it was.

"She made it pretty clear she's into me, that she wants more than friendship from me." Gia told him. "I'm...I'm just really confused. I don't know what to do."

"Well, I guess the first question is, do you feel the same way about her?" Eric asked. Gia just shrugged.

"She's different, she's a bit strange, but she's fun to be around." Gia began. "She does make me think about stuff I never really noticed."

"I didn't ask for what you think, I asked how you feel." He reiterated. Gia just looked at him regretfully.

"I'm not sure I'm ready." She admitted. "I'm not sure she's ready either."

"Well, you did say she isn't out yet." Eric reminded her. "What kind of relationship can you really have if she isn't ready to share the truth with the world?"

Gia just nodded in agreement. That was something that she was kind of wondering herself. Even if anything did happen between them, what could they really have if they had to keep everything secret? If Cat wasn't yet confident enough to admit what she was publically, then what kind of relationship could they have?

"I think you know what you have to do." He told her, putting a hand on her shoulder. Gia just sighed.

"I know." She muttered. "It doesn't mean it doesn't suck. God, I wish this was easier."

"You think being straight is easier?" He chuckled. "Trust me, it doesn't matter. Straight or gay, if something's worth having, it's never easy. I met Emma's mother at a protest."

"Emma told me." Gia said with a weak laugh. "She said you escorted her off the protest sight."

"More accurately a police officer did, in handcuffs." He told her. "It was kind of a necessity after she...well...let's just say there's a reason it was a while before Emma came along."

"OK, too much information!" Gia said as Eric took a sip of his coffee. He just smiled.

"If you find someone special, then trust me, the embarrassing stories are the ones that mean the most." He told her. "When you don't mind admitting the person you pledged to spend your life with sent you to a hospital the first time you met, you know you've got the right one."

"Thanks Mr Goodall." Gia said gratefully.

"Any time." He said softly.

Back in the woods, Jordan hit the ground again, and pounded the ground in frustration. He was failing at every turn in this exercise. Just when he thought he had Troy on the ropes, he broke off and managed to put someone else in danger. Eventually, Troy called a halt to the exercise. Emma was rubbing her left arm, which had taken a hard kick, while Noah was getting to his feet, and Jake was shaking off his hoodie.

"I'm sorry, I can...I..."

"I think we should take a break from this for now." Troy stated. "For the others' sake if nothing else."

"Come on, it's not an easy exercise." Jordan protested.

"You think a Ranger battle is easy?" Jake asked. "You think everyone is going to conveniently clear the battlefield so you have an empty space to destroy?"

"I didn't say..."

"Hell, even property damage is unavoidable." Noah reminded him. "That station wagon you wrote off? That was Principal Andrews' car."

"Really?" Jordan asked. "Well, now I don't feel quite so badly about it."

"Whatever, clearly we need to take a break from that. We'll try something else." Troy told him. He pulled out his morpher, slamming in a card, calling up his blaster. "Noah, set up some targets."

Noah ran around, setting up some targets. Jordan just willed it, and his right arm was encased in armour, from which his blaster appeared in his hand, before the armour was recalled. Troy stood beside him, facing the targets. Noah cleared the range as he finished up.

"Now, as an extension of what we were talking about, you have to be mindful of your surroundings. A big part of that is accuracy." Troy told him, levelling his blaster. "If you miss your target, a stray shot could be disastrous."

Troy fired a shot, taking out a target. He proceeded to fire five more at timed intervals, taking out each of the targets in turn, before pointing it up in the air. He turned to Jordan.

"All you need to do is take your time..."

"Noah, have you finished setting them up yet?" Jordan asked, interrupting Troy.

"Yeah."

"Then clear the range." Jordan stated, preparing to begin. As Noah ran clear, Jordan levelled his blaster. In a volley that lasted less than a second, he had taken down all six targets in six quick blasts.

"Wow!" Noah commented.

"Throw a couple." Jordan told him. He looked to Troy who just shrugged. Noah threw a couple of targets into the air, which he took down with a couple of quick blasts. Even when Jake tried to throw him off by throwing some at difficult angles and rolling one across the ground, Jordan still took them down with ease, sprinting across the forest floor, and throwing himself through the air, before rolling to his feet. He held his blaster to the forest floor, slipping his finger out of the trigger guard. Emma noticed this as something her dad did at the firing range.

"Wow, that was just...amazing!" Jake commented.

"It's easy when you're trained isn't it?" Emma asked him. The others looked at her, confused.

"He's seventeen, he isn't..."

"My dad was an armourer for the military for twenty years." Jordan informed them. "I was in the military cadets from my tenth birthday until I was 15. I left, but...I still keep up the training."

"Um...OK, so...shall we take a break?" Troy asked, realising that Jordan had shown them something that gave them a little more hope in his potential. His training, his knowledge was a lot more than some of the others had come into the war with. In fact, a critic might say he could teach them some things. All they needed to do was take what he knew and shape it into something they could work with.


	26. Gia's Talk

Gia was a mess of nerves by the time she got to Cat's place. She didn't really know why, she had been asked out dozens of times in her life. By virtue of being the object of desire for apparently every kid in school with a Y chromosome since First Grade, she's already dealt with more than one admirer. Most just needed to hear that she wasn't interested, but some, including one in her first year in High School who had ended up speaking a few octaves higher needed a more direct lesson.

Somehow though, this was very different. Every time she had rebuffed one of the guys, it had been easy comparatively speaking. This time though was different. It was the first time another girl had asked her out.

She had to admit that she was more than a little flattered. Cat was, to be honest, a little strange, but she had a lot of qualities that were attractive. Gia couldn't help smile when she thought about the times she would just start talking about seemingly nothing, and keep going ending up crossing apparently every subject known to man without really saying anything of any note. It was both irritating, and also highly amusing how she could begin with something relevant, only to end up with some bizarre story involving her brother and an incident that almost got him arrested.

He got to the door of the apartment and knocked. A moment later, Cat answered, a toothbrush in her mouth. She looked immediately horrified.

"Gia!" She mumbled out past the toothbrush. She gestured her inside, before rushing to find somewhere to spit. She chose the kitchen sink, taking a quick slurp of water to rinse out her mouth.

"Um...is your brother around?" Gia asked. Cat just shook her head.

"He works night shift, he won't be home for a couple of hours." She informed Gia. "Um...do you want something...?"

"Cat, could you sit down please?" Gia asked. Cat just sighed and made her way dejectedly to the sofa. Gia could already tell that she had worked out the fact it wasn't likely to be good news. She took a deep breath as she prepared for what she was sure would be the hardest conversation she'd ever had.

"I got that comic strip you sent me." Gia told her. "Um...it was really good."

"You liked it?" Cat asked hopefully. Gia just looked at her.

"It was good, but...I couldn't help...in it, you kissed me." Gia told her. Cat just looked at her like she was waiting for the point. "Um...that was your way of asking me out wasn't it?"

Cat didn't answer. She just played nervously with the collar of her t-shirt.

"I...I guess so." She stammered. Gia just sighed.

"Cat..."

"Don't say no!" She begged in response. "We can..."

"Cat, you aren't out yet." Gia reminded her.

"But..."

"What do you really think we can do?" Gia asked her. "Do you really want to spend all your time sneaking kisses in dark corners and stealing moments in secret?"

"Gia, I l..."

"I don't doubt how strongly you feel, and I'm not doing this to be deliberately cruel." Gia assured her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "But if you aren't ready to admit what you are, then what makes you think you're ready for a relationship?"

Cat started to tear up hearing Gia ask that. She didn't want to admit it, but she knew that Gia had a point. She had closely guarded the fact she was gay, her biggest secret, for years. Since she had told her parents, and they had thrown a fit, leading to her brother taking her in, she had jealously guarded that side of herself. It was only by virtue of the fact Gia's outing had been so public that she felt the confidence to pursue her desire.

"I...I..."

"Cat, please, I don't want to lose you as a friend." Gia told her. "But since we're being honest, I don't think it'd be fair to you either. I'm...I'm kind of hung up on someone else."

"Emma?" Cat guessed. Gia hated the fact that Cat seemed to be astute enough to realise that. She bit her lip and nodded in response.

"It's more than a crush. I've been in love with her for a long time." Gia admitted, stroking Cat's shoulder. "I can't be with anyone until I get over that. It wouldn't be fair. I'd be using them."

"But..."

"I'd know." Gia told her flatly. "It wouldn't be fair. I would be using you, and that's not the kind of person I want to be."

Cat buried her face in her hands and started to sob loudly. Gia hated having to do this, having to cause her so much upset, but she knew it was something that needed to happen.

"Cat..."

"Can I be alone please?" Cat asked her. Gia just nodded, and left quietly. Cat just curled up in a ball on the couch as she went.

Back in the forest, Jordan's training was going a little hit-and-miss. He knew how to fight, and he knew how to shoot, but he just wasn't able to get his head around the fact that he needed to think beyond the fight he was having.

His dad had been in the military for most of his life, and Jordan's sensei had all been part of the military. While that had meant that he had walked away on the better end of fights before, he was now starting to realise there was a very big weakness in what he had trained in. His sensei all had a very basic mantra that had served him well up until now. Strike first, strike hard, make sure the other guy is out of the fight, THEN worry about whether or not he would walk again!

As he took a break, and the others took a rest from being kicked to the ground, he sighed. Troy had shown him that while his training was effective in keeping himself safe, there was a lot more to being a superhero than that. He needed to expand his vision beyond the immediate battle, and realise that he wasn't the only one that could be hurt. His Robo Knight form came with armour, which so far had always kept him from any serious harm, but not everyone had the same luxury. Most people would rely on him to keep them safe.

"Your training seems to be going well." They heard someone say. They all snapped to their feet as Lauren arrived in her Ranger mode. "It's a little unorthodox, but I guess I can work with it."

"Um...thanks?" Troy offered. "I've...I've seen you before."

"I'm the Red Samurai Ranger." Lauren explained. "Well...one of them anyway, there were actually two but...you know what, that isn't important."

"How did you know...?"

"You're really not as subtle as you think." Lauren cut off Noah. "By the way, wearing your Ranger colours 24/7? Not a good move if you really want to keep things under wraps."

"We'll bear that in mind." Jake stated. "Now, what are you here for?"

"Well, the new guy seems to be having a few teething problems." Lauren stated, gesturing to Jordan, before casting a symbol with her Samuraizer. A bundle of training equipment appeared before them. "I figured I could help."

"Really?" Jake asked. "What makes you think...?"

"I was quite literally trained to fight since I could walk." Lauren began. "I spent the better part of twenty years being shipped from one sensei to another to prepare me for my role as Red Ranger, and...oh yeah, I spent nearly two years as a captive in a hell dimension where I was tortured for hours a day every day."

"Um...I guess that makes her qualified." Emma babbled. "I mean, she has done this before."

"The Samurai Rangers were active for almost two years." Noah stated. "So...you've been watching us?"

"We needed to know if you needed help." Lauren told them. "I have to admit, we had some worries, especially once we figured out you were all kids, but so far you've done well."

She stepped into the middle of the clearing, and pointed to Jordan.

"So...you think you're ready?" She asked him. "How about you try me?"

"I have to warn you, this armour's pretty tough." Jordan stated.

"I think I can handle it." Lauren replied. "Unless you're scared of a girl."

Jordan called forth his armour, striding forwards.

"You asked for..."

Before he knew what had happened, he found himself flat on his back, with Lauren looking down on him.

"Sorry, did you need a moment?" She asked. Jordan kipped up back to his feet and rounded on her, throwing himself back to the attack.

Back at the Brainfreeze, Eric was settling up is tab when he felt a tap on the shoulder. He turned around, seeing Mrs Moran standing before him.

"I..."

"You're a hard man to get a hold of." She commented. "I have been trying."

"It's not exactly deliberate; I've just had a lot on." He commented. "Um...we probably shouldn't..."

"Thank you." She interrupted him, surprising him somewhat. She gestured to his face. "I'm guessing my soon-to-be ex-husband didn't exactly go quietly."

"He made it clear he didn't want to go to jail." Eric replied. "Sorry, but this is unexpected."

"Things weren't right between us for a long time, long before...well..." Mrs Moran offered as she gestured to the door. "Can we go for a drink or something? This is starting to feel a little awkward."

"I guess I have some time." He replied. "What did you have in mind?"

"There's a place near here that has incredible chicken wings." She told him.

"Probably my favourite two words in existence." Eric replied, following her.

Back in the forest, Jordan flew into a tree, slamming into it hard. He punched the ground in frustration. Lauren wasn't stronger than him, she wasn't faster, and by the looks of her costume, she didn't have better protection than him. He couldn't understand why she was constantly beating him and tossing him around like he was nothing.

"Strength isn't the most important factor in a fight." Lauren explained. "You can have all the strength in the world, but still lose because your opponent is better."

Jordan rushed at her, intending to prove a point by grabbing her and driving her into the Earth. Before he knew what direction was which, he was once again staring at the ground. A foot slammed into the back of his helmet, grinding his face into the dirt.

"Wow, that was impressive." Lauren said sarcastically. "Your passion is admirable, but you could do with a little more control."

As she stepped off his helmet, she powered down, exposing herself to the team. Jordan sat up as the others all tried to take in what they had just seen.

"Lauren?" Troy asked.

"Jeremy, Spike and I are heading back to Panorama on Monday." She informed them. "You're a little greener than I would have liked, but it looks like you have things covered here. Just as well, one of my team is pregnant, another two are waiting on their surrogate giving birth, and one of them's spending about seventeen hours a day in his new restaurant."

"Do we even want to ask?" Jake asked her. She just smiled and handed him a card.

"If you need help, just call." She told them. "In the meantime, teach the new guy that the main benefit of armour is that you can actually BLOCK some attacks."

With that, she walked away, and seemingly disappeared into the ether.

"Wow, another Ranger." Noah started.

"Alright, take five." Troy stated. "Then we can get back to whipping the new guy into shape."

"Hello, I am right here!" Jordan protested as they headed for the picnic hamper to have lunch.

Later in the day, Gia got to Ernie's and saw Ernie gesturing to her wildly. He approached.

"I need you in the back." He told her.

"Ernie, I..."

"Please, it is something you can help with." He told her. Gia just followed him. As she got into the back, she found Cat sitting on the floor. Her clothes were torn, and stained with blood. She was holding tissues under her nose, which were saturated with blood. She looked up as Gia came in, but quickly averted her gaze.

"Cat?" Gia asked. "Who did this to you?"

"I don't..."

"Cat, someone obviously beat the crap out of you." Gia stated. "Who did it?"

"Everyone?" She offered weakly. Gia didn't understand. "I thought about what you said. I realised you had a point."

"You're going to have to back up a few steps, I'm kind of lost." Gia told her. "What happened?"

"I admitted what I was. I came out." Cat told her. "Some of the other kids didn't like that much."

"Cat!" Gia shrieked, before looking to Ernie.

"I got her to safety." He assured her. "I saw she was in trouble and got her away."

"Cat, why the hell would you do that?" Gia asked her. "Why the hell would you...?"

"Because you did." She whimpered. She just stared at Gia with glassy, slightly vacant eyes. "I did it because you said..."

"Cat, you saw how much shit I got when I was outed!" Gia stated. "I didn't mean..."

"I just wanted to be honest with what I am like you." Cat whimpered. Gia just sighed. Although she knew that realistically there was no way she could have controlled what Cat did with her advice, she still felt guilty. The only reason Cat had come out was because Gia ad said that there would be no chance of them having a relationship if she was still in the closet.

"Cat, who did this to you?" Gia asked her. Cat just looked to the floor.

"I don't..."

Cat, who did it?" Gia asked again.

"Brittany." She answered. "She called me...a lot of things...then she just hit me."

Gia got up and stormed out of the back room. As she got into the main restaurant, she saw exactly what she was looking for. Brittany.

She was a big girl, close to six feet already, and with an athletic build. She was on the volleyball team, and something of a queen bee at the school. No one was more pleased than her when the truth about Gia came out, because Brittany was the Beta girl in the school. Now Gia was known to be inaccessible to the guys, Brittany was the new alpha.

"Hey Gia, I..."

Gia grabbed her shirt and pulled her to her feet.

"I hear you messed up Cat." Gia stated.

"I..."

"You knocked her down, why don't you try knocking me down?" Gia insisted. Brittany stood up to her full height, towering over Gia, looking down on her. She then pointed over Gia's shoulder.

"Hey, isn't that your dad?"

Gia turned to look, only to find herself on the floor very quickly afterwards. It was a trick, a cheap shot on Brittany's part, one that she knew she should never have fallen for. She stroked her jaw as Brittany shook out her hand to recover some feeling in it.

"I'll give you that one." Gia said, before kicking Brittany's feet from under her. She got to her knees as Brittany started to lift herself up. She spun around, connecting across her face first with her left foot, then with the heel of her right. Brittany ended up on the floor, barely moving as Gia got to her feet.

"You're a coward. You knew Cat would never fight back." Gia spat as she straightened out her clothes. "When you're done collecting your teeth, maybe you can learn not to take on fights you'll never win."

With that, she walked out of the Brainfreeze, leaving Brittany nursing her injuries.


	27. Alternate Plans

Lauren watched the Megaforce Rangers running through the exercises she had given them, satisfying herself that they were more than willing to work hard to improve. It was something of a quick fix really, they didn't have the benefit of having trained their whole lives like the Samurai had, but they were clearly willing to put in the work. She de-morphed, smiling as she did so.

"Alright guys, it's starting to get late, and we need to be heading." Lauren told them. Troy just looked to her a little curiously.

"Wait, you're all going?" He asked, sounding a little disappointed. He had a feeling that Lauren had so much more to teach them. Spike just shrugged.

"We were only really here to see how you were dealing with things." He told them. "We've already made our excuses with the education department."

"Mr Burley will be back on Monday." Lauren carried on; zipping up the training bag she had left on the ground. "Consider this a gift. There's a bunch of training equipment, manuals, recordings etc. I'm sure you'll all make great use of it."

She then handed over a card.

"If you ever need back-up, you can get a hold of my team here." Lauren said with a little smile.

"It's...kind of a long way from Panorama." Jake stated. Lauren just looked to him.

"You'd be surprised how quickly we can move when we need to." Lauren assured them. "So, good luck, and maybe you can swing by Panorama some time when you have some more time on your hands."

"We'd definitely like that." Emma said cheerfully. "So, I guess we're heading home then?"

"Same time tomorrow?" Jordan asked. Troy just looked among the others, and nodded.

"I guess so." He replied. "Maybe Gia can join us for more than just the two minute tour of the command centre."

"Maybe, presuming she's done running off every two minutes." Noah stated. "Emma, you're living with her, what is she doing these days?"

"Damned if I know." Emma said with a shrug. "If there is something going on, she's not talking to me about it."

"Really?" Jake asked. "I thought she talked to you about everything."

Emma didn't say anything. It was just one of the things that was starting to really get to her. Although things were better, Gia was keeping more and more from her. It was like, since her secret had been revealed, there was a lot of things Gia just didn't seem to tell her. She had no idea where she had gone today, or what she was doing any time she disappeared. At times, she would just get a text or an e-mail, and just disappear without a word. It wasn't a good feeling, knowing that her best friend, her sister, had a side to her life that she felt the need to keep hidden.

"Well, I for one am pretty hungry." Jordan declared. "I really appreciate everything you guys are doing...does anyone fancy going for something to eat?"

"Um...I guess so." Troy said with a shrug.

"I don't really have any plans." Jake added.

"Me either." Noah chipped in, looking to Emma. "Well, how about you?"

"I'll just send dad a message, let him know that he's on his own for dinner." Emma sighed. Noah just smiled as he heard this.

"Alright, so where are we going?" Noah asked. "I know a great place..."

"Why waste good money on a restaurant?" Jordan asked. "My mom and dad are hardly ever at home at this time. We'll have the kitchen to ourselves, and if I do say so myself, I'm a pretty good cook."

"Sounds like a plan." Noah answered, patting him on the back. "Alright guys, let's go."

In another part of town, Eric and Mrs Moran were talking as they headed for his place. He knew that she wanted to spend some time with Gia, to try and repair the harm that had been done to their relationship in recent months. As they got in the door, he heard his text alert, and checked his phone.

"Well, it looks like Emma's eating out with friends." He told her. Mrs Moran just checked his phone.

"Is there any word from Gia yet?" She asked. He shook his head.

"Not yet, but Emma didn't mention her in the text." He told her. "So...I'm really not that good a cook, but if I remember, you were quite fond of Chinese."

"That sounds really nice." She answered. "How about I call that in, while you try and get a hold of Gia?"

Eric just started to type out a text, while Mrs Moran dialled her favourite take out place. She hoped that Gia would be on her way. It had been a while since she had seen her, and she was desperate to talk with her again.

In another part of town, Gia escorted Cat home after her run-in at the Brainfreeze. She was sure that she would be alright, but she just wanted to make sure that she wouldn't run into any more trouble on her own. She knew she wouldn't be able to be there to defend Cat all day every day, but she could at least make sure she got home safely.

As they got to the door of Cat's apartment, Gia took the key from her and opened the door. Her brother was inside, just getting ready for his shift. Working night shift, he was often out of the house by the time Cat got home. He saw the state of her, and immediately came over.

"Cat, what happened?" He demanded. "Who did this to you?"

"One of the other kids did it." Gia told him. "For what it's worth, she won't be trying anything like that again anytime soon."

"Come in and sit down." He told her, taking her to the couch. He looked at his sister, could see that she had been cleaned up.

"It happened at the Brainfreeze." Gia informed him. "Ernie had a first-aid kit. He seems to know what he's doing."

"Cat, what happened?" He asked her. "Why would someone hurt you like this?"

"I...um..." Cat started to stammer. She knew her brother would likely freak when he heard what had happened. He had taken her in because her parents had reacted badly when she told them she was gay. Not as badly as Gia's dad had reacted, not that many did, but her brother had allowed Cat to move in when it became clear that staying with her parents was no longer a healthy environment. Since then, she had kept her sexuality to herself out of fear of...well...something like this happening. She looked to the floor. "I kind of told people I was gay."

"You did what?" He asked her, before looking to her. He let out a sigh of exasperation. "Cat, why did you do that? You knew that people..."

"I...I think I might have had something to do with it." Gia admitted sadly. "Cat's kind of looked up to me since I came out. I guess she kind of...followed my example."

Cat smiled a little, wordlessly thanking Gia for sparing her some embarrassment by leaving out a few details, like the fact that Cat wanted a relationship with her, and her entire decision to come out was based on Gia's assertion that she couldn't possibly consider being in a relationship unless she was honest about what she was. It was bad enough that Gia had led to Cat taking that step before she was ready, she didn't need her to humiliate her further.

"I guess this was bound to happen sooner or later." He replied dejectedly, looking to Cat. "I'll call into work and tell them I won't be in."

"You can't..."

"Cat, it looks like someone's messed you up pretty badly." He told her. "I don't want to leave you alone."

"You can't afford to call in sick to shifts." Cat told him. "Especially not for me."

"Cat, I'm not leaving you alone." He reiterated. Gia tapped him on the shoulder.

"Well, if it helps, I can stay with her." She suggested. Gerald just looked at her. "I kind of feel a little guilty over the whole thing. I'd feel better if I stayed with her for a while, just until I'm sure she'll be alright."

"Would that make you feel better?" Gerald asked. Cat just nodded her head. "Alright, fine."

He handed Gia a twenty.

"That should be enough for you to get something for dinner for yourselves, and get a cab home." He told her, holding up a hand as Gia tried to politely refuse. "Please, I insist. If you are leaving after dark, I'd feel better knowing you got home safely."

"Thanks." She said with a little smile, seeing that Gerald wasn't going to be swayed on this point. "I'll make sure she's alright."

With that, Gerald gave Cat a warm hug, gathered the rest of his belongings, and headed out of the door. Gia just looked to Cat as she settled down on the couch. Gia looked around for the TV remote.

"So, what do you normally watch at this time?" Gia asked her.

"I'm kind of into Game of Thrones." She told her. "I have most of them recorded on the TiVo."

"Game of Thrones?" Gia asked, a little surprised to hear this. "Sorry, it's just a surprise. I didn't really think that'd be the kind of thing you're into."

"If I'm honest, I really like Daenerys." Cat said with a little blush. "It makes me wish I had a couple of dragons. Then things like this wouldn't happen."

"Yeah, cause that's how these things work." Gia said with a small laugh, calling up the TiVo and selecting an episode. She pulled out her phone, and started to type out a text to tell Mr Goodall and Emma that she wouldn't be home until late.

"Gia." Cat said as Gia sat with her. "It does get easier doesn't it?"

"I'll let you know if it does for me." Gia told her. "In the meantime, all you can do is just...not let the things people say get to you."

"It's not the words I'm so worried about; it's the fists that come with them." Cat admitted. Gia just sighed.

"Well, maybe you should just learn to duck then." Gia suggested.

"I'd still feel safer with dragons." She told her. Gia couldn't help laughing as she said this.

"Well, if you find any, let me know." Gia answered. "I have a feeling I'd like to have one too."

Back at the Goodall place, Eric got Gia's text and sighed.

"Sorry about this, but that was Gia." He told her. "She just said that she's going to be late home."

He could see the look of disappointment on Mrs Moran's face and reached across, holding her shoulder.

"You can't take it personally." He said in a comforting tone. "She didn't know you were here. She probably just made alternate plans at the last minute."

"I know, it's just..." She started to say, shaking her head. "This all went so wrong."

"It's been a difficult time for all involved." Eric told her.

"I've given her space, I've given her time. I know it's too much to expect her to forgive me right away." She protested. "But how can I make amends if she won't talk to me?"

"I don't really think there's a timetable in a situation like this." He answered.

"So what am I meant to do?" She asked.

"Well, I think we can only do what we can." Eric stated. "It would be a shame to waste all this wonderful food."

"I suppose it would." She answered. "Thank you for everything you've done for Gia."

"You're welcome." He said as he handed her a dish.


	28. Gia's Double Life

The next morning, Gia wandered in a zombie-like state, shuffling into the kitchen in her pyjamas. Eric was in the kitchen, reading a newspaper, while Emma was by the cooker, making breakfast. It had been the smell of fresh pancakes that had stirred her awake. Gia liked her sleep, but Emma had known her for so long, she knew that opening her door a little way and starting to cook was a far more effective way of waking her than a marching band. Mr Goodall set down his newspaper.

"Good morning." He greeted her. "Would you like some matchsticks to hold your eyes open?"

"Coffee." Gia muttered. Emma reached across, pouring a cup from the coffee maker into a mug and handing it to her. Gia sniffed it deeply, and was lifted a little way from her virtual coma. She drank some, as she sat down. "It's fair-trade. I know it's different than the stuff you usually drink, but at least I know the people that picked the beans are being paid more than a few cents a day."

"Coffee good." Gia mumbled. Eric and Emma just looked at each other, struggling not to laugh. It wasn't the first time either of them had seen "Zombie Gia", but they hadn't seen her this bad in quite some time. Gia did not operate well on less than a full eight hours of sleep without a truckload of caffeine.

"Well, that is kind of what'll happen if you don't get home until after midnight." Mr Goodall stated. Emma paused for a second as she was bringing the pancakes to the table. She knew that Gia had gotten home late, after she had gone to bed anyway, but she didn't know it was THAT late. She set down the plates, at which Gia fumbled with a fork, starting her breakfast. "I was up at the bathroom when you came in."

"What were you doing out so late?" Emma asked her. Gia just looked up to them. The Goodalls had done so much for her; she didn't want to lie to them. She had stayed with Cat until she felt sure that she would be alright until her brother got home. She looked back down to the plate.

"I had...something important to do." Gia told them. "Sorry I was so late."

"Gia, is everything alright?" Eric asked her. She just nodded wordlessly, hoping the questions would stop. She knew that now Cat had taken the decision to come out, they would likely hear about her soon enough but she didn't feel it was her place to tell them. Emma in particular wasn't happy that Gia felt the need to keep any more secrets from her. The truth about her sexuality had been a pretty big one for Emma to deal with. As much as they had tried to move past it, and keep things the same, Emma found it hard to feel like it really was.

"Look, I had...there was someone that really needed my help alright?" Gia said, trying to keep things as vague as possible. "I...I can't say who, they're dealing with something bad, and they needed someone to help. I can't betray their trust."

Mr Goodall just sighed as Emma went back to the work surface, biting her tongue. Gia couldn't betray someone else's confidence, but she could keep secrets from her? Who was really that important to her? Eric leaned across the table, taking her hand.

"Gia, you've been through a lot these last couple of months." He told her. "I know that there are a lot of things you've been dealing with, and..."

"What are you saying?" Gia asked.

"I've given you a lot of leeway in how I've treated you." Eric told her as gently as he could. "Emma comes home late, but she's never come home at that time, and if she did, I'd want...I'd expect a pretty good explanation."

Gia didn't know how to respond. She had to admit that he did have a point. She'd basically sneaked into the house well after a reasonable curfew for a seventeen year old school girl wandering the streets unaccompanied.

"We'll let it go for now, just...make sure you're keeping yourself safe." He told her. "And since you are living under our roof, I'll expect you to abide by the same rules as Emma. That means, if you're going to be late, then I'll expect a call, and if you're not coming home or staying out after midnight, then I'll expect another one."

"I guess that's fair." Gia told him. She knew she really didn't have any cause for complaint. He was giving her a lot of understanding in her behaviour, and she hadn't really given him much cause to believe in her gratitude for all they had done.

"Fine, then we'll leave it there." He told her. "By the way, your mom called around last night."

"She...she did?" Gia asked him. Emma looked a little surprised. It was news to her too.

"She wanted to see you." He told her. "I know this is difficult, but she has given you a lot of space. You agreed that you would give her a chance to make amends."

"I know, it's just..."

"It's difficult; I can get that, that's why I'm not pushing things. Obviously you need time to get yourself ready." He said as he looked to her. "But she is trying. Maybe you can meet her half way. We talked over dinner..."

"Dinner?" Emma asked. He just nodded.

"Don't worry, I didn't cook. We got take out." He assured his daughter. "The leftovers are in the fridge for later if you want them. She's willing to let you call the shots Gia. Maybe some time you can arrange to meet with her?"

Gia just nodded in response.

"So, you're going out again today?" He asked the girls. Gia just looked to Emma. This was the first she'd heard about it. It was largely by virtue of the fact she'd spent all night keeping Cat company. Emma just sat with them, beginning her breakfast.

"We're heading to the woods again." She told Gia. "The others will probably be waiting for us."

"Um, OK." Gia answered. "Well, I guess I'll just shower and get dressed. We can walk over..."

"Walk?" Mr Goodall asked. "Why don't you ride?"

"I don't know how to ride a unicycle dad." Emma said, rolling her eyes. "My BMX is still totalled."

"Well actually, the old one's in the trash." He corrected her. He then smiled. "The new one was delivered yesterday. And since SOMEONE'S not letting me go to the office, I had some time on my hands, so I had a chance to build it."

"Are...are you serious?" Emma asked him, her eyes flashing in excitement. Being without her beloved BMX had been like losing the use of a limb. He just smiled.

"Have a look in the garage." He told her. Emma ran out of the kitchen, heading through the house and barging into the garage. Sure enough, resting against the wall was a brand new, top of the range, gleaming pink BMX. She turned back to her dad, hugging him tightly.

"Ow, ribs!" He reminded her. Emma loosened her grip slightly, but was still overjoyed. "Just...try to avoid rocks in future."

"I will." She assured him, looking to the bike. She was overjoyed to get back the hobby she loved so much. It had only been a couple of weeks, but it felt like so much longer. She went back inside to finish getting ready, unable to wait to try it out. She made a mental note though to inform Troy that if he knew what was good for him, he'd best not go anywhere near it with a sledgehammer.

In the woods near the city, Bluefur and Bigs were foraging for more of the pollutants they now relied on for their power, and indeed their continued existence. As they did so, Vrak showed up. He approached them, rousing their attention.

"Feeding time is it?" He asked. Bluefur just ignored him. "Personally, I'd have thought you'd have been looking for another henchman to throw at those Rangers. That last one you sent...if it wasn't for those Loogies I sent to help him, he'd barely have done anything."

"Badgrun did not go out on my orders." Bluefur corrected him. "He went out on some misguided mission of revenge. Psychotick was a friend of his."

"Oh, glad to see you have such control over your underlings." Vrak said sarcastically.

"Don't push your luck Vrak." Bluefur warned him. "Badgrun may have been rash and foolhardy, but he was one of us!"

"Well, perhaps you should be thinking less about the failure of your wayward kin, and should be concentrating more on coming up with something that will further our goals." Vrak suggested. "After all, it's not like I haven't been patient."

"Well, what I've noticed is that it's been a while since one of your guys did anything of note." Bigs chimed in, absorbing some toxins from the Earth to energise him. "If you're so desperate to see something done, why aren't any of your followers doing anything?"

Vrak couldn't answer without giving too much away. As far as the Toxic Mutants knew, HE was the leader of the Warstar. He was the only one they'd had contact with, since Admiral Malkor had no real desire to walk the Earth until it was his domain. He had allowed the Toxic Mutants to believe that he was the one in charge, thinking that for the time being, it was best that he alone maintained a measure of control over their actions...albeit a shaky one since the Toxic Mutants ultimately looked to Bluefur for their orders.

"We are working on strengthening our arsenal...to better assist you." Vrak lied to the gigantic mutant. "After all, now we both know how dangerous the Rangers are to both our people."

"Funny that." Bigs commented. "Your preparations are taking place on your ship where we have no access to see them for ourselves."

"You will see them soon enough." Vrak assured them. "After all, we both want the same thing. We both want to see an end to the destructive race of humanity."

"Fine, now if you would just leave, we still have to feed." Bluefur told him. "I already have my next follower ready to act."

"Really?" Vrak asked. "Mind if I ask...?"

"Bluefur silenced him with a low growl. Vrak just shook his head and decided to leave them to it. He had as little desire to see them feed as they had to be disturbed. As long as they were doing something to keep the Rangers occupied, he was more than happy to leave them to their devices for now.

Around the same time, Gia and Emma were riding their BMX's through the woods, heading to the area they normally used to train. Emma had to admit feeling great being able to ride again. While Gia would have happily lent Emma her bike, it wasn't really practical for one of them to ride while the other walked.

Eventually, they came to the clearing, to find that they had gotten here before the others. They chained up their bikes, and waited for the others.

"I guess we got here earlier than I thought." Gia stated, opening a can of Red Bull. She'd already skipped out on one training session, and although her late night had meant she'd not had much sleep, she didn't really want to let down the team again and had every intention of making it through the whole session. Emma just took a deep breath.

"Gia, what's with you recently?" Emma asked her. Gia just looked at her.

"I'm sorry?" Gia asked.

"Secret texts? Secret E-mails?" Emma asked. "Running out to help some 'friend' I know nothing about?"

"Look, Emma..."

"Don't say to me you don't want to talk about it." Emma said, looking at her pleadingly. "Gia, I know you're going through a lot, but we never keep anything from each other, not anymore!"

"Look, there really is someone I'm trying to help out." Gia told her. "I can't go into it; I can't betray her trust..."

"But it's fine to abuse mine?" Emma asked her. "Gia, if you're in any trouble, I want to know!"

"Emma, just trust me." Gia told her regretfully, knowing it sounded weak. "I'm sure you'll know about it soon enough, it's just...it's not my place to tell you."

Before Emma could respond, Jordan, Troy, Jake and Noah all teleported into view, carrying a large assortment of training equipment. Gia just looked at them, a little confused. So far, their training equipment had been largely improvised or home-made. With no real money, or access to gyms where people wouldn't ask too many questions, they didn't have many options. They already had to head over a mile into the woods to make sure they would have a training space where they wouldn't be disturbed.

"Wait...what gives? Where'd all this come from?" Gia asked as Jordan dumped a bag nearby. "Did you guys rob a gym or something?"

"No, it was a gift!" Troy told her with a smile. "Lauren gave it to us."

"Lauren? The teaching temp?" Gia asked, by now completely confused.

"She's not just that, she's a Power Ranger!" Noah informed her excitedly.

"Yeah, she was the Red Samurai Ranger." Jake said as he started to warm up.

"Wait, are you saying you guys met a Power Ranger?" Gia asked.

"We sure did, she even gave us some pointers." Emma replied. "You definitely missed the wrong training session."

"Wait, you actually got training from a Power Ranger and you didn't tell me?" Gia shrieked, realising she'd missed her opportunity to hear from a legend. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Sorry, it wasn't my place." Emma answered with a shrug. Gia felt a little put-out, realising that it was a shot at her. Troy patted her on the shoulder.

"She went back to Panorama, sorry." He told her. "Right, let's start warming up, and then we can work on some sparring."

Gia just sighed and followed the others as they started running some laps. She could tell that Emma was unhappy about the secrets, and she didn't want to keep anything from her, not after almost losing her as a friend once her own secret came out, but she couldn't bring herself to tell her about Cat. She just resigned herself to the fact that for the time being, she had to weather the storm. She would just have to take it.


	29. The Mutant of Mutants

Bluefur led Bigs to an area not far from what they considered "home". The fact was that the pollution from the factory had spread a lot farther than anyone really knew. The lands that housed the mutants were vast enough to hide many creatures, that by all rights of nature, should never exist.

The mutants themselves knew that they did not belong on the Earth. They remembered their past lives, before their minds started to expand at an exponential rate, along with their bodies. They knew that this was a world that would never accept them. Their former kindred shunned them, detecting the taint that existed within them now, fearing those that once shared their dens and their feeding grounds. The humans ran in fear from them, and attacked them ferociously on sight. They had even found defenders that wielded powerful weaponry that had already claimed the lives of some of their kin.

Vrak understood their plight, and had explained the situation to them. He had explained how the humans had poisoned the earth that they had relied on for their survival, poisoning and killing their kindred in their hundreds for years. However, he also pointed out that it had been that same poison that could be their undoing. The Toxic Mutants were now strong, possessing powers far beyond what would have been possible for their natural forms. The humans had, through their own disregard for the earth they shared with the animals, created a powerful and deadly enemy. Hatred had burned in the mutants for a long time, they just never knew where to direct it. Now though, they did. They knew who had made them what they are, and they were determined to make them regret their very existence.

Bluefur smiled as he found what he was looking for. This was a mutant that even sought a level of solitude, even from its fellow mutants. It was a situation that all were reasonably content with. Bigs just looked to Bluefur in surprise as he saw the creature kneeling by some waste, foraging for something to eat.

"You're not serious are you?" Bigs asked him. "You want her?"

"Can you think of anyone better to lay waste to an area?" He asked in response. Bluefur headed out from the bushes, making his way towards the mutant and raising her attention, while keeping a safe distance. Bigs just sighed.

"Well, I don't know what she'll do to the humans, but she scares the shit out of me." Bigs commented, heading out as well, though being careful not to get any closer to her than Bluefur in case he had to run.

Elsewhere, in the woods far from the waste dump, the Rangers were busy training. Jordan was beginning to get a little frustrated, as Troy kept giving him exercises in control. He was beginning to wonder where Troy kept coming up with all these ideas. In his latest, he was getting Jordan to run an assault course he had set up, with the others hidden at points around the course instructed to attack him...while carrying a watermelon. The rules were simple. The watermelon broke, he lost.

While the rules might have been simple, but he was quickly finding that the task was not as simple as it sounded. He was on his fifth watermelon and coming through the course again. The others had averaged two runs before they managed to get through with a watermelon intact, but Jordan was finding it a lot more difficult.

This time, he was a lot further on than he had been in previous attempts. As he vaulted over a chest-high obstacle, a difficult feat in and of itself while carrying his cargo, Jake sprang his attack on him, launching towards him with a flying kick. Jordan barely saw him, bucking so that his shoulder took the hit instead of the melon, and struck the ground hard, landing on his right arm. He checked quickly that the melon was still intact, before rolling back to his feet, and facing off against Jake.

Jake came for him again, but Jake managed to guide him over a log, to the ground with one hand. He took the opportunity to sprint for the finish, seeing it within his sights. He could feel it; he could almost feel his victory.

Unfortunately, he was so focused that he didn't see Gia come for him. One leg-sweep, and he ended up face-first on the ground. The soft, squishy mess underneath him was all too familiar from his previous attempts. He got up, sweeping some of the sticky mess off him. He saw to his disappointment that he was also about two feet short of the finish. It was close, but it was another fail.

"Aw come ON!" Jordan protested. "That was totally..."

"What if that watermelon was a kid?" Troy asked him. "Like I keep telling you, we have the suits, you have armour. Civilians don't. If it comes down to it, we have to take the hit." Troy reminded him. "Right, we'll take a break...you can get changed...and we'll do some target practice."

"I want to get this right." Jordan snapped. "Noah, give me another!"

"Uh...that's a little hard. You just totalled the last watermelon." Noah said apologetically, looking into their cool-box. "The only stuff in here now is our lunch."

"Yeah, which Ernie supplied very reasonably." Jake said with a curious look on his face. "Emma, do you reckon he's sweet on you or something?"

"Huh?" She asked, looking up from where she was looking around for somewhere to sit for lunch.

"Well, Gia's...off the market." Jake commented. "And he keeps giving us a ton of food we don't order for free. Do you think...?"

"I know it's hard, but don't be dumb Jake." Emma sighed. "He's just trying to be nice to regular customers."

"Well, I'm not complaining." Noah said with a smile. "I mean, check out these subs he packed for us! They're huge!"

"Well, don't fill up too much. You don't want to be working on a full stomach." Troy commented. "Especially you Jake, your marksmanship definitely doesn't need any MORE distractions."

"Oh yeah, pick on the Jewish guy!" Jake grumbled.

"I think he's picking on the guy that could only hit one target in five at fifteen feet." Noah corrected him. While the boys continued to bicker, Gia took the opportunity to grab a sandwich, and head over to where Emma was sitting with her lunch. She just looked to the Pink Ranger.

"Um...we're still cool right?" Gia asked.

"Sure, I guess." Emma said with a shrug. It was far from convincing.

"Look, it sucks for me too." Gia told her. "I know I promised no more secrets..."

"Then why are you keeping one from me?" Emma asked her.

"It's complicated." Gia answered. "Look, you'll probably find out pretty soon anyway, but someone put their trust in me. I really can't break that confidence."

"It's funny how that matters so much to you now." Emma replied a little coldly. Gia was hurt by that remark. She'd never kept anything from Emma other than anything she thought would harm her. She had only kept her own secret because she feared losing Emma more than losing her own life. She hated hurting Emma more than anything anyone ever had, or ever could do to her. Unfortunately, it was now clear that Emma was taking the new secret personally. She longed to tell her and end it, but knowing what lay ahead for Cat, especially since she didn't have the same network of close friends Gia had when she went through it, she just couldn't bring herself to say what was going on.

Gia was about to reach out to touch Emma's shoulder when Emma's cell phone bleeped. She reached into her jacket and pulled it out, checking her text messages. She read it, and put her phone away.

"Sorry guys, I've got to split." Emma told them. "Something came up."

"Well, you are one of the best shots among us." Troy conceded. It turned out that Emma was actually a pretty good shot. Since her dad's job required him to be armed, and he had always kept guns at home, he had taught Emma to know how they worked from a young age. Although he did always keep his weapon responsibly in a gun-safe, he knew that accidents happened, and had figured that it was best she learn to respect and understand the danger guns presented from the age she was able to understand. Although she wasn't into shooting like her dad was, she certainly knew her way round a firearm, and showed she could attain pretty impressive scores. "And since that's all we're doing from now, you won't be missing much."

"Emma?" Gia asked.

"Sorry, it's something important I can't tell you about." Emma replied, before getting her BMX. "I know you understand."

Before Gia could say anything, Emma was cycling away, and disappeared into the forest. Gia had felt a rift starting to form between them, and wanted nothing more than to run off after her to talk more, but she knew she really couldn't. Having blown off one training session already, she knew she could ill afford to blow off another. Jordan finished his sandwich, and got up, armour surrounding his hand, before summoning up his blaster.

"Alright guys, this is blaster class 101." He began with a little smirk. He was still sore about his efforts in Troy's attempts to learn to fight while mindful of his surroundings and innocent bystanders, he sought some solace, and if he was honest, getting a bit of a kick out of the idea there was something in which he was the sensei.

"Fine." Gia groaned, summoning her blaster, and twirling it. Jordan immediately grabbed her wrist, and shoved her hand up in the air, holding the blaster away. In an accidental impulse from the surprise move, she fired a blast into the air.

"Rule number one, your finger only goes inside the trigger guard when you intend to shoot!" He chastised her. "Gun-twirling looks cool in movies, but breaks pretty much every gun safety rule ever written."

"Oh...right." Gia answered sheepishly, adjusting her grip. Jordan held his blaster, with his finger outside the trigger guard and looked to Troy.

"Would you mind setting up the first set?" He asked. "If I remember rightly, your scores were pretty good. You can go last."

He then looked to Gia.

"Watch and learn." He told her. Jake leaned in and whispered to Noah.

"I never thought I'd get a kick out of knowing there's something Gia isn't immediately perfect at." Jake commented. Noah nodded.

"She missed the wrong training session." He agreed. "This should be fun."

Back at the plant, Bigs was nursing some wounds as Bluefur observed him. They had set up something of a makeshift "palace" for themselves in the ruins of the old factory. Old pipes and vats towered above them into the high ceilings. Catwalks criss-crossed above them, giving a vantage point for a few of the mutants that they had pressed into service as guards, while some of the old machinery had been shifted to create pathways, and partitions to create rooms within the complex.

High above one end, up a long flight of stairs was what had once been the main office, which they had re-purposed as Bluefur's throne room, which was where they were now. Bluefur sat on a throne he had constructed himself from dented barrels, twisted and broken machine parts, canvas, and any other materials he had scavenged for the purpose. He watched Bigs for a moment, seeing him tending to chemical burns covering a significant portion of his massive torso, before finally growing impatient.

"Stop being such a weakling Bigs." He grumbled.

"Easy for you to say." Bigs moaned as he rounded on his boss. "She never..."

"It's your own fault for being too slow. You know what she's like." Bluefur stated.

"I know all too well, that's exactly why I would have recommended against this course of action." He responded, making his way to the throne. "There's a reason the others...all of us avoid her! You can't think..."

"I think that she may be just what we need to cause some real damage to this city." Bluefur told him. "When you have a destructive force like that, you don't need to control it. Just point it in the right direction and wait until the dust settles."

Emma rode her BMX back into the city, skidding to a stop just outside a cafe advertising organic foods. The curtains were drawn, shutting out the street, making it appear as though it was closed. She was still angry about the situation with Gia, but right now, she had a something else she needed to take care of. Her problems at home could wait until she got back there.

The Pink Ranger chained her bike up outside, and headed in despite the sign on the door declaring that it was closed, finding the cafe full. There was a large banner at one end of the room, bearing the logo of an environmental group. The owner regularly let the local protest groups use the premises for their meetings, but they were only this large whenever there was a major rally coming up. Normally closing on a weekend would not have been a financially responsible option, but with so many protesters, his losses would be more than covered.

It was a pretty big meeting, with numerous environmental groups coming together. There was a huge rally coming up, one Emma had been looking forward to it for over a week. She had told Gia about it, but typically, she either hadn't been listening, or didn't care enough to remember. She shook her head as she felt her temper rising again. This was too important; her issue with Gia could wait.

"Well, glad you could join us." The man at the front declared with a smile. He was a tall, respectable looking man in a suit, the public figurehead of the local Environmental Party. His name was Derek Winter, and he had been campaigning for a seat in Government for the city for years now. His party had never won any major elections, though he was beginning to notice an upturn in public opinion. Since news of the Toxic Mutants, and what they were had broken, there had been a shift in people's attitude to environmental issues. While Emma wasn't yet at an age to be active in local politics, she was active enough in the local protest groups to have met him a few times. "Alright, I think that's about all of us. Would someone mind getting the lights?"

Emma looked around for a seat, finding one with the other members of her environmental club. It was a bit of a squeeze, but she settled in just as Derek was about to start his Power Point presentation.

"As you all know, Queen Power and Energy is being forced to transport a large amount of waste out of their plant in Harwood as a result of a lawsuit filed by us against them for their alarming environmental record, specifically their attachment to the dumping ground just outside of the city." He told them. "They have claimed that they're taking their waste to be disposed of responsibly, however they have refused our request for free access to the details of where it's being taken."

"Then, you think they're lying?" One of the protesters at Emma's table asked. His name was Keith, but most people referred to him as 'Spider', a nickname given to him at the many protest rallies he had been to. He was, if anything, even more into the whole nature deal than Emma was, going so far as to become vegan, and refuse to use any form of product that was not ethically produced. He was taller than Emma, and had a reasonable, though not overly muscular build. He wore a dark green jacket, a PETA t-shirt, and canvas slacks.

"Well, we can't say for sure." Derek said in response. He knew that they had to be careful what they said, especially without proof. A lawsuit for slander was something that would hardly do his campaign any good. "What we can say is that they're refusing open disclosure on their plans for the waste. We have appealed to the state Senator to pressure them into doing so, but he's refused..."

"No doubt he's in their back pocket!" Spider snapped. "Everyone knows most of the local big shots funded his campaign!"

"Alright, that's quite enough. We have tried going through official means, so all we have left is protest." Derek stated. "Tomorrow, we'll be picketing their main plant as their trucks come to take the waste. Members of the local press will be at the scene, so we should get a lot of publicity."

He scrolled through more pictures of the plant.

"There's only one main gate, so we'll set up there." Derek stated. "Now, we notified Queen Power and Energy of our peaceful protest, and in return they have had the courtesy to inform us that they are clients of Cerberus Private Security."

Emma was glad to hear this part. It was her dad's firm. It was not the first time they had ended up on opposite sides of a protest line, but they always made sure that those situations never got personal. He made sure she was well aware of the guidelines of what legally constituted a peaceful protest so that she would not get picked up by the authorities. She also knew that her dad's firm was not overly heavy-handed when it came to protesters. They were well trained to ensure they didn't end up on the wrong end of a lawsuit or PR nightmare by manhandling law-abiding protesters.

Just then, Emma's morpher bleeped. There was something of a hubbub from the crowd. Normally they all turned off their cell phones at meetings. Unfortunately, Emma's morpher wasn't something she could really afford to turn off. Sometimes, she needed to be in contact, even if it was inconvenient.

"Sorry, that's mine." Emma said apologetically as she got up. "Um...I was expecting a really important..."

"Just go Emma." Derek told her. "I can forward the details to you through your phone."

Emma just left, apologising as she saw a few dirty looks from some of the others who didn't think anything could be more important than their cause. She got outside, and pulled out her morpher.

"What is it Gosei?" She asked.

"A Toxic Mutant has made its way into the city centre. The others are already on their way." He told her.

"The city centre?" Emma asked. "That's a pretty bold move for a mutant."

She unchained her bike, and took it into an alley out of sight.

"I'm teleporting to the command centre to put my bike in for safe keeping." She told Gosei. "You can teleport me out from there."


	30. A Stinky Situation

Jordan, Troy, Gia, Jake and Noah teleported, arriving close to the battle site, finding it curious that they weren't teleported directly into the battle. People were running in a panic from the main street a little way from them, most of them coughing furiously, most of them looking more than a little weak, while others were being dragged, barely conscious. Some were sporting very obvious signs of severe chemical burns.

They all immediately grabbed their faces as a horrendous stench assaulted them, making them gag. From the direction of the commotion, a thick miasma was billowing out, making the air thick with an unknown gas, and causing vision to become a serious problem.

"Man, that reeks!" Jake spluttered.

"Gosei, what gives?" Troy asked. "Why are we so far out?"

"The gas you're experiencing is dangerously toxic." Tensou explained. "This was as close as we could drop you without putting you in danger."

"What's causing this?" Noah asked.

"The epicentre is moving, indicating that the Mutant you're looking for is the cause of this." Gosei explained. "If you morph, the filters in your suits should help protect you."

"Help?" Jake demanded, noting that he didn't say it would seal it out.

"Should?" Noah added, noticing instead the subtle implication that Gosei still wasn't exactly sure what this gas was, or how it would affect them. Gia pulled out her morpher.

"Well, it's better than nothing." She stated. "Go Go Megaforce!"

As the others morphed, Jordan concentrated, willing forth the Robo Knight armour, which burst forth, segmenting and interlocking around him. By the time he was transformed, he took stock of his situation. He could still smell the gas, but it didn't seem to be harmful any longer. The air rippled, making vision a problem, but the systems within his helmet meant he could now see a lot more clearly than he had before. He looked to Troy.

"So what now?" He asked.

"Now, we find this mutant." Troy told him as they ran off into the fog. Jordan smiled slightly.

"Now you're talking." He stated, running off to join them.

They had gone a couple of streets, before they found what they were looking for. The street was very quickly clearing, with very few people still around. In the middle of the street, they saw a dark shape.

As it turned, they saw that it was a mutant, almost completely obscured by its tail from the back. It was about six feet in height, with a lithe, toned, and distinctly feminine build. It was covered in black fur, with white stripes running across its head, and down the length of its back, and up its tail. It was wearing armour and clothing of a home-made nature, constructed from scrap metal and scavenged material. She was holding a halberd in her right hand. Her face was roughly triangular, and she had yellow eyes, that almost shone through the gas. The Rangers just stopped short.

"Um...OK, what's that supposed to be?" Troy asked.

"Is that...a skunk?" Jake asked. Noah just nodded.

"I'd say it is." Noah replied.

"So what, she's going to try and stink us to death?" Jake chuckled. "What kind of lame power is that? Has ANY Ranger team faced a monster that tried that?"

The mutant responded by releasing another huge gas cloud. It obscured their view, and with how badly it smelled, they could only imagine how much worse it would be without the suits. A few blows later, all the Rangers found themselves on the ground, with the mutant standing over them.

"How lame is my power now?" She taunted them. Gia looked up as she heard a battle cry. Emma was arriving from a little way down the street, launching herself into a flying kick. The creature just swiped her out of the air with her halberd, dumping her on the ground.

"Really, this is the best that humanity has to offer?" She scoffed, looking down at Emma. "You are the almighty defenders of the humans that created me?"

"Come on, she can't be that tough." Noah spluttered. "She's not even got any Loogies with her!"

"Would any of them survive being around her?" Jake asked. The skunk mutant rounded on them, rearing back her tail.

"She's about to go for it again!" Troy warned them. "Hold your breath!"

This time, however, it was not a gas that came out. It was a jet of liquid that sprayed before her. Jake got out the way just in time, but Noah wasn't as quick, and caught it on the arm. The car that was sitting behind them caught the full brunt of it though. The Rangers watched in horror as Noah screamed out in agony, rolling on the ground, while clutching his arm, which was beginning to smoke.

"Noah!" Emma screamed as she got to his side, but stopped from holding him as he held up a hand.

"It's burning!" He warned her. "Even through the suit, it's burning!"

The Rangers looked up to the car, which was quickly falling apart, dissolving under the highly caustic fluid. The creature just laughed.

"Skunk oil isn't just smelly, it also burns." Noah told them. "Obviously the mutation made the effects much stronger!"

"We need to finish this now!" Troy stated, calling forth his Dragon Sword. Jake joined him, rushing for the creature, but rearing back her tail, she squirted a viscous, extremely pungent form of her oil on the ground. Their feet skidded out from under them, leaving them sliding across the ground and slamming into a wall. They too started smoking and burning under the highly concentrated oil that now covered them. Jordan tightened his fists as he clutched his Robo Blade, rushing towards her. The mutant parried his blows as he rained them down on her, before twisting sharply, throwing him several feet. He converted it into blaster mode, and levelled it at her, attaching the Vulcan Shot.

"Jordan NO!" Noah called out, but it was too late. He was going to warn him that since they didn't know what the gas in the area was made of, they had no idea of its chemical properties. As he fired his blaster, the street erupted in a huge explosion that sent all of the Rangers sprawling in all directions, overturning vehicles and rupturing fire hydrants which sprayed the street, saturating it in moments. The Rangers all de-morphed, becoming drenched in moments as the hydrants flooded the street.

The gas started to dissipate as the skunk mutant came over to Jordan, grabbing him by the neck with one hand, and lifting him to his feet.

"The name's Mephit." She told him, drawing him closely. "Don't forget it!"

She threw him over her head, where he landed on the roof of a nearby car, rolling across the back of it and landing on the pavement. She turned to the Rangers one last time as she walked away. She stopped by Troy and snorted.

"Pathetic." She stated, before giving him a sharp kick in the ribs, and leaving. The Rangers slowly started to regroup, Jake and Noah helping Jordan to his feet. He already knew that firing his blaster when he wasn't sure of the gas was a bad move. As he looked to Troy though, the Red Ranger didn't seem like he was ready to give him a lecture.

"The gas seems to have dissipated. The emergency services will likely be here soon." He told them. "Let's head to the Command Centre. We can try and figure out something there."

As they left, preparing to teleport, Jordan looked around to the scene of destruction in the street. He was starting to wonder if he really was cut out for this super hero game. Maybe it was time they looked at finding ways to convince the Robo Knight to find another host.

In another part of town, Eric was going a little stir crazy. He loved his daughter dearly, but her insistence that he was banned from going to work while he recovered meant that he was stuck at home. It was just as well he was going to be allowed to return to work in time for the protest. His injuries were all but completely healed now, and given the high profile nature of the protest, he didn't want to leave his team out there without being around to direct the operations.

As he was wandering around the living room, using this down time to get some cleaning done, he heard the door bell. He went to the door, and answered it, finding no one outside. Instead, there was a box on the doorstep.

He picked it up, and took it inside, inspecting it carefully. He checked for any signs of who might have left it. The package wasn't addressed, meaning that whoever had delivered it had delivered it in person and not send it through the mail. Taking out his pen knife, he carefully cut the tape around the lid, and flipped it open.

He looked inside and saw a dead rabbit, together with a letter. In his line of work, it was an unfortunate fact that sometimes he made enemies. In his time he had been sent quite a few unpleasant messages, some of which were outright threats. He put on a pair of gloves before removing the envelope. He doubted it was worth getting the police to check for fingerprints, but it wouldn't have been the first time one of his mail room operators had found to their cost that a package had been treated with a chemical agent designed to cause injury.

Cutting open the envelope, he pulled out the letter. It was made up of newspaper cuttings, and simply said "you defend Queen Power and Energy, you are no better. Watch your back." He felt something in the bottom of the envelope, and tipped it out, finding three bullets inside. He picked up his phone, and dialled, hearing a voice on the other end.

"Hello, police?" He asked. "My name's Eric Goodall, owner and proprietor of Cerberus Securities. I've just received a threatening message."

He turned over one of the bullets in his gloved hand, his anger rising in him. It wasn't much of a message, but its intent was clear. There were three bullets, one for him, one for Emma and one for Gia. Someone wasn't just threatening him; they were threatening the girls too. He had accepted long ago that threats and ill feeling went with the territory in his job, but threatening them was something that made his blood boil. No one would threaten his family.

At the command centre, the Rangers were licking their wounds after their decisive defeat at the hands of Mephit. Currently, Tensou was scanning Jordan to make sure there were no broken bones.

He had taken his bruises, just as the others had, but it was his feeling of failure that hurt the most. He had let his team down. The mutant had caused an incredible amount of damage before it left; much of it was his fault. He still couldn't believe he had been foolish enough to fire when he didn't know that the gas Mephit had released was flammable. Although the creature had caused a lot of damage, a significant proportion of it was his fault.

"So much for trying to stink us to death." Jake grumbled. "Who'd have thought a SKUNK could cause so much damage?"

"It looks like when it mutated, its oil became much more potent." Emma surmised. "It burned, even through the suits!"

"Alright, we might have lost this time, but we can't give up." Troy told the others. "We have to..."

"What are we meant to do?" Noah asked him. "How are we meant to fight that thing when it's a walking chemical weapon?"

"We have a better idea what we're up against at least." Troy answered. "Tensou, can you play back the battle?"

Tensou went to the computer and called up footage of the battle. Troy gestured to the screen.

"Right, we know that she constantly emits this gas." He began. "We now know that it's flammable, so we can't afford to utilise any of our blasters, especially in an enclosed space, otherwise we'll cause another explosion."

"I could live without that." Gia chipped in. "My ears are still ringing after that."

"We know that she can also concentrate her oil." He continued. "It's highly caustic, and appears to be capable of eating through metal."

"Though fortunately not my armour." Jordan added as he looked to them. "I got hit by some of it, but I didn't get burned."

"That might be useful to know." Troy stated. "The suits give us some protection, but if you can take a direct hit, then we might need to use you to take her down."

"Wait, what?" Jordan asked. "Did you miss the part where I blew the crap out of half the street? I'm not ready..."

"You'll have to be." Troy told him. "We now know not to use ordinance. We all make mistakes, the important thing is learning from them."

"I just checked the emergency service communications." Noah told them. "There were some serious injuries, but no fatalities."

Jordan breathed a sigh of relief. He knew that a good few of those injuries had to have been his fault; he would never have forgiven himself if anyone had died as a result of his actions. He already knew that he was failing miserably to learn how to limit the damage he caused in his fights.

"She went straight for the city centre, which is pretty bold for a mutant." Troy continued his briefing. "I think it's fair to say that her MO is to cause as much collateral damage as possible. I think it's pretty safe to assume that when she does come back, it'll be somewhere with a lot of people around."

"That means innocent bystanders." Gia sighed. "Perfect."

"Well, until she shows up again, all we can do is head home and wait for her." Noah commented, getting up from his chair. "Tensou, did you manage to get a sample of her oil?"

"I have." Tensou stated. Noah headed for the lab.

"I'll see if I can figure out some way to counteract it." He informed the others. "I'll call if I think of anything."

"Right, in that case, go home and rest up everyone." Troy instructed them. "When she comes back, we'll have to be ready for her."

As they teleported home, Jordan in particular took Troy's words to heart. They couldn't let it happen again. The next time they ran into Mephit, he had to ensure he took her down for good. He couldn't let anyone else be hurt by his mistakes.


	31. Protest Vote

**A/N:** I know I've been pretty awful at updating. This week has been one I would not choose to repeat. I'll try to get the next couple of chapters up in much quicker order. Thank you for your patience.

On Sunday morning, Gia was wakened by a sound in the kitchen. By virtue of his job in Private Security, the system at Eric's place made it like a veritable Fort Knox, so she doubted anyone had come into the house. Looking over to the alarm clock, she noticed that it was only 5:30.

"Who the hell gets up at 5:30 AM on a Sunday?" She muttered as she got out of bed. Until this moment, she would have been one of those people that doubted there was any such thing as 5:30 on a Sunday morning. Making her way downstairs, she found Emma in the kitchen, fully dressed. She was making what appeared to be a packed lunch. She came into the kitchen, looking to her in confusion.

"Emma, what the hell are you doing?" Gia asked her.

"I'm getting ready." Emma told her.

"Ready?" Gia asked again. This was something of an annoying thing Emma had started doing since the day before. She was obviously dark on the fact Gia was keeping anything from her, and so had taken to deliberately keeping from her what she was doing. It was a little childish, and petulant, but on the other hand, Gia couldn't really blame her. It wasn't as if she was really being exactly upfront with what she was up to these days, even if it wasn't by choice. She hated the fact that Emma was taking it so personally.

"Alright, the red flask is some of that herbal tea you like so much." Eric said as he came into the room, still in his pyjamas. "The blue one is a carrot and...Gia...sorry, we tried not to wake you."

"What's going on?" Gia asked.

"Emma's heading to a meeting about the protest." Eric told her. Gia just stared at him blankly. "The Queen Power and Energy protest?"

Gia just rolled her eyes and smacked herself in the forehead. Emma had mentioned that. She had done more than just mention it, she had told Gia so much about it and what it meant for the political and environmental landscape of Harwood that...if she was honest, she had started to tune it all out. While she was concerned about the environment, she was more of a passive environmentalist. She separated her trash like a lot of people, but could admit to not caring too much if she couldn't see a recycling bin nearby and tossing an aluminium can into a standard trash can. It had to be yet another thing that made Emma feel like Gia didn't listen to her, or care about the stuff that mattered to her.

"I'm sorry, I...um..." Gia knew it was already too late to back out of the situation. It was already clear she had forgotten all about the protest. "I can be ready..."

"Don't worry about it. I know this isn't really your thing." Emma told her. "Besides, your predilection for leather wouldn't fly too well down there. Half of them are semi-militant vegans."

Gia just nodded in understanding. She had been around enough of the people Emma had met at various protests to know what she was talking about. She didn't object to anyone that chose to be vegetarian, or vegan, but she had met more than one that just felt the irrepressible need to tell anyone that was with them, that DARED to commit the grave crime of wearing leather, fur (she'd never worn it herself, but once she made the mistake of wearing a coat with a faux-fur lined hood), or eating meat that they were worse than Hitler, Vlad the Impaler and Rasputin combined, very loudly for what felt like hours. Eve Emma had expressed some impatience with such people. She wasn't vegetarian herself, seeing it as a lifestyle choice that was up to the conscience of the individual. All that mattered to Emma was if the produce was from approved farms, meaning that it was treated well in life and slaughtered humanely. Gia knew, however, that wasn't the reason she didn't want Gia there.

"You know, I'm sure..."

"No, it's fine. I'm sure the guys will let me tag along with whatever they're planning on doing." Gia interrupted Eric. "I guess I can enjoy another couple of hours in bed."

"See you later." Emma replied as Gia went back to bed. Eric just sighed.

"So, do you feel like telling me what that was about?" He asked her.

"I don't know what you mean." Emma answered.

"Never mind." He muttered, shaking his head. He knew how stubborn his daughter could be, and right now he didn't have the energy. He knew that she and Gia were so close they would work everything out eventually. He also had a lot of worries on his own mind. The threat message sent to his house had been pretty direct. Someone knew where he lived...not that he ever really tried particularly hard to hide it. Many of his clients had actually been to his house. He relied on his security system to keep his family safe. They also knew that there were three people living there, something that was obvious from the fact that they had sent three bullets, one for each member of the household. Realistically speaking that wasn't hard enough to figure out either. Presuming it wasn't someone that knew them, someone would only have to watch the house for a day or so to know there were only three people that came to the house and stayed for any real length of time. "So, just...remember what I told you alright?"

He tried not to show his concern as Emma nodded in response. The thing that annoyed him the most was that so far, he had no idea who had threatened his family. All he knew was that it was POSSIBLY connected to the protest, since the note had told him that he was being targeted for providing security to Queen Power and Energy. However, the one thing he had always maintained to both girls was that the last thing anyone should do is allow fear to rule their lives. He'd always said that it was only when people started changing their lives for those that threatened them with violence that gave them power. All anyone could do was prepare to meet such situations. He had always taught her to have good instincts about when people meant her harm, and between what he and Gia had taught her about self-defence, he had little doubt she would be able to determine if someone at the protest was someone that was best avoided. It still terrified him to think of her in trouble, but he didn't want to panic her. It was best she had a clear head if she needed to act.

"If I think anyone's sketchy, keep a clear head. Just get clear and let them take their own fall." Emma grumbled the mantra she'd been taught ever since it was clear she was following in her mother's footsteps as an activist. "Don't take anything for anyone I don't trust, and if things start to get heated, don't get involved, just get out as quickly and safely as I can."

He just smiled and held her closely.

"Have fun." He told her. Emma parted from him, gathering up her backpack, and heading to the garage for her BMX. It was only as she started on her way that she paused as something occurred to her. It had happened a few times over the years that she and her dad had ended up on opposite sides of a line when it came to protests. In those instances, he'd always made the same lame joke, asking if she wanted him to give her a lift, only for her to answer that she doubted it was going to look good if she arrived with the guy leading the security of the "enemy". She wondered what was different today, before another thought came to her. It was still early; her dad wasn't due at the office for a couple of hours yet. Maybe he had just forgotten. She rode off, heading for the meeting place, knowing that there were still a few things that had to be arranged. While there would be a picket today, the main protest wasn't for another week. This was something of a trial run to make sure everything would go smoothly.

She got to the meeting place, a park a few streets away from the plant. It was something of an irony that a public park was so close to a chemical plant, though Emma understood that it had been funded and built by Queen Power and Energy to create good PR. It was the main reason this was chosen as the launching point for the protest.

The turnout today wasn't huge. Mainly, it was the members of the environmental youth groups, such as Emma's club at school. The real protest was sure to generate a lot more of a crowd, but today was all about planning the route, and making sure everyone was clear on what they were doing. Emma could see Derek Winter, the head of the local Environmental party, and senatorial candidate, talking with some of the protesters at the front, carrying a bull horn. He was basically leading the protest, which would mean a lot of media attention, hoping to create uncomfortable PR and pressurise Queen Power and Energy into disclosing details of what they were going to do with their waste.

She saw the rest of her group a little way off. Spider was talking with them, and looking more than a little impatient. Of the group, he was always the one that was most vocal and assertive in his views. He was one of the "militant vegans" that she warned Gia about, once lecturing EMMA about her decision to eat meat. She found that to be a little wearing and annoying, but she had always admired his dedication to his beliefs. He wasn't a part-timer like many of the kids, and took it a lot more seriously than even she did. He was a part of many different protests, and he had a regular article in the school newspaper where he would talk about environmental issues, and give advice on leading a vegan life without any need for supplements, and natural remedies that eliminated the need for modern pharmaceuticals. Sometimes, Emma wondered if it was a viable option, if he would leave society altogether and live in the woods.

He saw her and waved her over. She arrived, setting down her bag.

"Can you believe all this?" Spider asked her. "This is such a waste of time. You'd think we'd never been on a march before."

"It's a big deal." Emma reminded him. "There'll be a lot of media there on the day. He just wants to make sure we get things right, that we make the right impression."

"There are plenty of ways to make an impression." Another of the students sneered. "Waving around a bunch of banners...it'll make nice pictures but will it make a difference?"

"It'll create hassle for them, that's what we want." Emma stated with a smile. "To be as big of a pain in the butt for them as possible."

Just then, Brittany arrived, taking up a banner. Emma knew she was on the volleyball team, and had seen her at one or two protests. She was more of a part-time environmentalist than many of them. She looked a little confused as she saw that she had some rather harsh, noticeable injuries on her face, the most prominent of which was a horrendous black eye that covered a significant portion of her face.

"Brittany?" Emma asked. "What happened to you?"

"Really? You don't know?" She snorted. "Why don't you ask that friend of yours?"

"Gia did this?" Emma asked. She might have been a little down on Gia lately, but she knew that while Gia wasn't exactly afraid of trouble, she wasn't the kind of person that went looking for it. She had a feeling that if Gia had hit her, especially doing the kind of damage she could see now, that she probably had a good reason.

"Yeah, she did." Brittany stated abruptly. "And you can tell her from me, that she's in for a butt load of payback!"

She turned and walked off, leaving Emma with more than a few questions.

"What was that all about?" She asked. "Why did Gia do that to her?"

"You really haven't heard? It's been all over the blogasphere." Spider told her. Emma just shook her head. Thanks to her position as head of the environmental club, she had a lot of stuff to organise, and had been spending a lot of time calling Derek. She hadn't been online in almost two days...not to the usual blogging sites anyway. "Brittany brought it on herself."

"How?" Emma asked.

"You know that space cadet with the red hair Cat?" He asked her. Emma just nodded. "Well, she came into the Brainfreeze the other day and decided to come out to the whole place."

"Wait, Cat's gay?" Emma replied, realising what he had said. He just nodded.

"Well, a few of the kids there gave her a hard time. Some stuff was said...Brittany kind of led the charge." He told her. "I left, but from what I heard afterwards, Brittany threw more than insults. By all accounts, that ass-kicking Gia gave Brittany was the backlash."

"I can't believe Gia didn't tell me that." Emma gasped, remembering that Gia hadn't come home until after she was already asleep that night. She suddenly got a thought...was that why? Had she been with Cat after the attack?

"She came out in more ways than one; she even changed her handle on the Flagship." Spider informed her, showing her his I-phone. Emma saw the post, in which Cat explained her decision to change her former ID to her real name. She saw the name on the post...Rotekatze2013. She gulped as she realised what this meant. Cat was the one that made the comics. A lot of things made sense now. Gia had said she'd handle it, and the comics stopped shortly afterwards. She never told the others how she made the writer stop posting their work on the web. She realised that somehow, Gia had figured out that it was Cat, and obviously somehow convinced her to stop and to take down the comics.

She now understood why Gia had been so secretive. If she had known about Cat before she came out, then it was easy to see why she would do anything not to betray that secret. Her own experience had been very painful; she could understand why she wouldn't want anyone else to go through that, even if it did mean keeping it from Emma.

"Alright people, we're ready to go!" Derek called out over his bull horn. "Let's show Queen Power and Energy what we're made of!"

With that, Emma picked up her backpack. As she did this, she saw Spider picking up a huge bag, and looking at the way he lifted it, it seemed to be heavy.

"What's in there?" She asked. He just shrugged.

"Just some lunch." He answered.

"What for, the whole protest group?" She asked him. "It looks like it weighs a ton!"

"I just like to be prepared." He answered with a smile, offering her a hand. Emma smiled in response, and politely declined it, but walked with him anyway. He looked a little disappointed. "Sorry, I...I guess...um..."

"Let's just concentrate on this." Emma replied. "The Earth comes first, right?"

"Always." He agreed, walking with her.

Meanwhile, back at the Goodall house, Eric was about to leave his house to head to the plant. He wanted to give Emma a good head start, but he wanted to be there to head up the team. Just like the protesters, he wanted to be ready for anything. He opened the garage door with his remote, and started to back out of his drive-way, but as he did so, he heard a loud bang, and felt the back of the car drop.

Getting out of the car, he went around to the back, and checked, confirming both back tyres had blown. Under the car, he found a board with nails driven through it; a makeshift tyre spike had been left in his driveway.

He got up and started to look around, checking for any sign of a culprit. It wasn't long before he saw a man diving head-first over a nearby hedge, and rolling to his feet. He was wearing black cargo pants, black boots, and a black flak vest. His face was obscured by a ski-mask.

He stood before Eric, and started to approach slowly, menacingly. Eric wasn't in the least intimidated though.

"So, you like sending messages?" He asked. Just then, he saw another figure, dressed the same way, vaulting a wall a little way off. As he backed towards his car, a third man, dressed the same way, walked into view. Eric was livid. These men dared to come to his home to cause trouble. It was then that he remembered that Gia was still in the house! He sprinted into the garage, and hit the button to close the door. The assailants didn't follow him in, obviously thinking that following him inside was too much of a risk to take.

He immediately got onto his phone, dialling his partner, Wayne.

"Wayne, its Eric, some guys just attacked me at my home." He told him. "I want the plant on a full lockdown!"

"Mr Goodall?" Gia asked as she came into the garage. "I heard something outside..."

Just then, she heard some smashing sounds. Eric already knew what it was. Since they didn't get to attack him, they were likely taking it out on his car. It was a small price to pay all things considered, and he was sure that he would take repayment in kind if he ever got his hands on them. His only concern was getting the house on lockdown to keep Gia safe.

"Go back to your room Gia." He told her.

"What's going on?" She asked.

"We're safe in here; just go back to your room!" He repeated, before getting back to Wayne on the phone.

"Well, you can tell Queen I really don't give a rat's ass how much stopping those trucks is going to cost him, put the place on lockdown NOW!" Eric snapped. "Tell him if he has a problem with that, he can take it up with me, but since the lives of everyone in that plant are my responsibility, no one comes in or out without my say so!"

"Eric..."

"I want everyone on site identified and confirmed, I want the explosive dogs to search everywhere, and I want all personnel on full alert." Eric told him. "That place is sealed up tighter than the White House until I say otherwise. Anyone has a problem with that, they answer to me, is that clear?"

"Crystal." Wayne sighed. "Queen's not going to like it."

"Well, he's paying us for a reason." Eric replied, snapping his phone shut. He went to the Living Room, finding Gia there, watching out the window. The thugs were gone, and every window and light on his car had been smashed. The remaining tyres had been slashed.

"I told you..."

"What happened?" She asked him. He just sighed and hugged her.

"Its fine, they'll be long gone by now." He assured her. "Don't worry about it."


	32. Poisonous Intent

Eric paced impatiently in the Living Room, clenching and unclenching his fists as he waited. Gia knew about her rescue, but she was so out of it on the sedatives she had been given that she really didn't remember much of it. Seeing Eric pacing, she saw what Emma had been talking about, the different side to him, the somewhat scary side.

"Mr Goodall..."

"I'm fine Gia." He cut her off. "I just need to get to the plant."

He was running on a side of him that he had trained for years. Between his experience in a Special Forces unit in the marines, and his years in private security, he had a place in his mind and his heart in these situations. He felt fear, he was afraid about what could have happened to Gia if the thugs had gotten into the house, and he now feared for Emma, who despite his repeated attempts to call, had seemingly switched off her phone. She was at a protest, potentially among the very people that had attacked him in his own driveway and threatened his family. He felt anger, wanting nothing more than to find the cowardly men that had sought to ambush him and attack him when the odds were in their favour, and who had threatened to harm the girls he loved more than life itself. However, it was a place that took those emotions, and forged them into a focus that allowed him to keep a cool, collected and somewhat calculating mind. Going berserk was far from useful in his line of work. At all times, he needed to be in complete control. All those emotions did was get his adrenaline going. If he got his hands on his attackers, they would be in deep trouble.

"Mr Goodall..."

"I need to check on Emma." He told her flatly. Just then, a black sedan arrived. Checking through the window, he recognised the driver as one of his employees. "I have to go, don't leave the house."

"But..."

"I mean it Gia, lock the door and activate the alarm once I leave!" He warned her, pulling out his glock. He pulled back the slide, checking that it chambered the first round, and flicked off the safety. Gia noticed this as he went to the door and unlocked it. He looked to her, at which she went to the door to comply with his order. She couldn't really explain that she was probably safer than he was, considering the fact she had her morpher. She just waited by the door, and at his signal, he went out. Gia closed the door behind him and locked it, before activating the alarm. She ran back to the window and watched as Eric made his way to the car.

He was alert, and checked everywhere for signs of movement. He hadn't seen the attackers since he had fled into the house, a decision he had only made to make sure Gia was safe. Still, he couldn't rule out the possibility that they were still waiting for someone to come out. His house was pretty much a fortress all things considered, but that didn't protect him in the street.

As he got to the car, he got in, re-activating the safety switch, and putting his gun away.

"Sir..."

"Get me to the plant now!" Eric stated abruptly. The driver knew better than to question his boss when he was in this state of mind. There was a good reason Eric's security firm commanded such a high price tag. They were easily the best on the market in Harwood, and a lot of that was down to Eric's mindset. The driver started up the engine and pulled away.

In another part of town, Jordan was with Troy in a local gym, going through some sparring. Troy appreciated the effort Jordan was putting into his training, and especially into his learning. While there were still a lot of question marks over him, the two things no one could doubt were his abilities, but most importantly, his heart.

Jordan had always idolised the Rangers. He had shaped a large part of his life following their example of defending those that couldn't defend themselves, and standing up to those that would oppress others through threats and violence.

He had a lot of tools, Troy could see that. His Martial Arts skills, while obviously very different from the way he was taught, were impressive. Right now, on the sparring mats, Jordan was only marginally behind Troy in points, and that was more down to his over-reliance on aggression than technique than any genuine failing in his skill. His marksmanship easily outstripped any of the others. Only Noah even came close, and that was largely through his years of playing lightgun games on his computer, which even he admitted didn't prepare him for the recoil of an actual firearm.

Jordan took Troy down with a double-leg takedown, coming into a mount. All he could see when he looked down was Mephit, and his coming mission. They didn't know when they would see her again, but the two facts they did know were that she had to be stopped, and that Jordan's armour was somehow immune to the caustic effects of her oil. Although no one said it, or put any undue pressure on him, he knew that this placed him in the position of being the one best suited to fighting her. The others would keep the way clear for him, but he would be best suited to fight her directly since her most insidious weapon seemed not to affect him like it did the others.

He was about to start raining in blows, when Troy snatched his wrist, and grapevined his legs up his arm and around his neck. Jordan recognised instantly what it was, he was attempting a triangle choke. If he locked it in, it would not be long before he was forced to tap. Jordan did the only thing he could, adopting a wide stance to stop Troy bringing him down.

"You did it again Jordan." Troy said with a smirk. "Technique is important."

"You've not got me yet." Jordan replied. He felt Troy increasing the pressure, hoping to bring him down to where he could really lock it in. Jordan could only think about what everyone kept telling him. His problem wasn't his ability, he had the tools, he just didn't know how to use them in a way that limited the danger to those around him. Where the others were always trying to be a scalpel, removing the problem without taking too much of the surroundings with them, Jordan was a sledgehammer. He had power to spare in the armour, but so far any time he had been in combat, he had ended up doing almost as much harm as good.

"It's only a matter of time." Troy warned him.

"I can still get out." Jordan answered, struggling to get out. He tried to use his free hand to hit Troy, but he couldn't reach around is leg to hit anything worthwhile. Troy just pulled in tighter.

"Just give." Troy told him. Jordan suddenly got inspiration. Reaching around, he clasped his hands around one of Troy's legs, and adjusted, bracing himself. Then, with a yell, he hoisted him up off the ground. As he slammed him down, forcing the air out of his lungs. Troy let go, but Jordan was pretty spent from the effort of lifting his whole bodyweight. He just looked to Troy on the mat.

"Told you I'd get out." Jordan panted in exhaustion. Troy just let out a weak laugh through his efforts to regain his breath.

"I guess sometimes the sledgehammer approach has its merits." He chuckled as they got up. He could see the expression on Jordan's face and knew he was troubled. "It's not like the comic books is it?"

"I always loved Spiderman." Jordan told him. "I mean, Captain America was cool, but everyone was glad to see him. He got a parade in his honour every other issue."

"I don't follow." Troy replied honestly. He wasn't into comic books. He knew that Jake and Noah were, Noah especially, but he had never really taken the time to get into them.

"Spiderman was so endearing because he was the first Superhero to have problems from his superhero stuff that affected his normal life." Jordan continued. "He lost girlfriends, he lost loved ones, he had to pass up a whole lot of stuff just because he was doing the right thing."

"Sounds familiar." Troy sighed. Jordan just nodded.

"I loved Spiderman because I could relate to him, because I was a kid a lot of other people just didn't get, so I liked the idea someone like that, someone like me could be a hero." Jordan continued. "But I guess...a part of me was always hoping that if I ever did become a superhero..."

"It'd be more like Captain America." Troy surmised as they took a seat, fetching a water bottle and taking a drink. "That the problems would end, and everyone would love you?"

"I know, its stupid right?" Jordan asked. "I mean...I totalled the school. We're going back tomorrow to a building site, all because of me!"

"That wasn't entirely..."

"Well, it's not like people can really be angry at that badger thing, he's dead." Jordan told him. "I've read the papers; I know there are people out there that blame me for..."

"Welcome to the reality of being a superhero." Troy interrupted him cheerfully. "Not everyone's glad to see you all the time."

Just then, both their morphers bleeped. Jordan held up his hand, at which his morpher appeared in his hand, coming from within him like his armour.

"What's the story Gosei?" He asked.

Over at the protest, the activists had arrived at the plant, but they had arrived to find a much stronger resistance than they had expected. The Cerberus security team was out in full force at the gates, with road blocks set up, and not allowing the protesters within twenty feet of the gates. Some of them had dogs, and were patrolling. The protesters were starting to get a little ratty, since this wasn't even the real protest, but kind of a practice run for the main event.

"What's going on here?" Derek demanded at the line as many of his followers started to become vocal in their disapproval. It was, to all intents and purposes, a perfectly legal, reasonable, and most importantly, peaceful protest, but the resistance they met was way more than they were expecting.

Wayne, Eric's partner, and the next largest shareholder in the company, was the spokesperson in Eric's stead. He gestured to the crowd to calm down, and started to call out for some quiet so he could speak. Public speaking wasn't really his thing, when Eric wasn't around, they had people that tended to deal with the PR side of things, but he had been in the situation of having to speak before.

"We have received a serious security threat, and we are currently in the process of dealing with that." Wayne announced. "At this time, no one has claimed responsibility for the threats, and we have been unable to verify them, but until we do, as per our Standard Operating Procedure, we're putting the facility on full lockdown while we investigate!"

"This is a peaceful protest!" Derek reiterated.

"Like I said, we have received a serious security threat, at this time we are not attributing it to any party, and no one has claimed responsibility!" He called back as the crowd started to shout him down. It sounded a little lame to most of them, who thought it was an excuse to stop them from getting any closer to the plant.

"Can you believe this shit?" Spider snorted as he threw a hand up in disgust near Emma. "This is all some lame ass crap designed to distract us from the fact we've got every right to be on public land!"

"Cerberus aren't like that." Emma told him. "Something's happened."

With that, she pushed her way through the crowd, heading for the front. She saw Wayne and gestured him over.

"Wayne, what happened?" She asked. He knew Emma well. Eric was his best friend, and he had been to their home many times. Eric had even been the Best Man at his wedding. He gestured her in closer.

"Your dad called, someone smashed up his car." He told her. "He's treating it as a threat to the plant."

"What?" Emma asked. "Is he OK?"

"Hey, it's your dad right?" Wayne said with a little smile. "If anything, I'd be worried about the other guys."

Emma didn't really take much comfort in his assertion. If something had happened to her dad, she wanted to know about it. Before she could get a chance to dial her phone though, she started to feel something assaulting her sense of smell. It was truly foul, and...sadly rather familiar. Looking up, she saw a thick, green fog starting up. Before long, a dark shape launched through the air, and landed in the space between the barricades and the chemical plant. Mephit stood up as the security team trained weapons on her, and without even turning, sprayed them with oil, causing them all to fall to the ground, screaming in agony.

"The carelessness of humanity cannot be tolerated!" She announced as she spun around her spear expertly. "You value your poisons so much; let's see how you do with a REAL poison!"

With that, the cloud of green smog coming from her grew more intense. Protesters and the security team ran in all directions. Emma had been with Spider, but lost sight of him. She heard her morpher bleeping, but knew that it was pointless to answer it. She kind of knew what Gosei had to say.

The smog got thicker, and she found it hard to see as her eyes watered, and the smoke got thicker, meaning that most of the people she could see running were little more than blurry shadows. Taking cover, she satisfied herself she wouldn't be seen and pulled out her morpher. She put her card into the mouth, and slammed it shut. All things considered, she figured she could forego the call this time. She didn't want to breathe if she could help it, much less open her mouth.

Elsewhere, Eric was in his car when his phone rang. He answered it.

"Eric, where the hell are you?" Wayne asked him.

"I'm on my way." Eric told him, glaring at the driver. "The traffic's murder!"

"Listen, some monster just showed up here. Steer clear!" Wayne told him.

"Wayne, Emma's there!" He screamed.

"Emma's a smart girl; I saw her running when I was getting the team back to defensive position." Wayne assured him. "She'll be fine!"

"I'll believe that when I see it." Eric stated flatly. "I'm coming!"

"Don't! We can handle things here!" Wayne told him. He hung up, having more important things to deal with, but knew that he would have to face Eric later for a chewing out. Right now though, he had people's lives to worry about.

In the car though, Eric was livid. He had more than enough to worry about without a monster attack near his daughter. It was a necessity of his business that he stay in the city, otherwise he'd have left after the first few weeks of monster attacks. The girls had both been there when the mutants attacked the first time, which was bad luck. To know his daughter was near another such attack...

Then, he noticed something odd. The car took an odd turn, and ended up inside an apartment complex. Three sides were surrounded by buildings, with the only way in or out being the way they had come in. Eric realised that something was seriously wrong when the driver bailed out and ran as fast as he could.

Getting out of the car, Eric looked around. Just behind the driver as he escaped, a blue van backed up, blocking the escape, and the side panel opened. A monster of a man, about six feet tall, and dressed in black, his face obscured by a ski mask, and wearing a flack vest, much like the thugs before stepped out, and started to make his way towards him.

He looked up to the balconies of the buildings either side. To both his left and his right, two more black-clad thugs vaulted the railings from the first floor, landing on the ground, while a third came from the building behind him, walking down the staircase. Eric could see exactly what this was. He'd been set up. The driver was new, and while he vetted everyone, obviously he had somehow managed to slip through the usual security checks.

He reached into his coat, and pulled out a retractable tactical baton, racking it to full length and faced the biggest one of the group.

"You look like the size I wear." He stated as he ran straight for him.


	33. Chemical Plant Rumble

The Rangers were teleported to the plant, arriving as Mephit began her rampage. Aside from Jordan, they were almost bowled over by the stench, even in their suits. It had become apparent that Mephit's oil had mutated along with her, meaning that it wasn't just smelly, it was also toxic, and potentially lethal. It was something that made her all the more difficult to fight.

"Jordan, remember what we talked about." Troy stated as he patted him on the back. Jordan just looked to him.

"What?" Jordan shrieked as they started to head off. It was only then that he realised that a squadron of Loogies, who appeared to be wearing some form of breathing apparatus, likely to protect them from Mephit's gas, were running amok through the panicking and fleeing protesters. "But..."

"Your armour's immune to her oil!" Troy shouted back. "Just...get on with it!"

Jordan gulped as he heard this. He had wished all his life, dreamed of being a Superhero, but since he had found himself being thrown into the whole deal, he was quickly finding out that his dreams did nothing to prepare him for the reality. Now, he was being thrown another major responsibility...only now he was terrified that he wasn't ready for it. His previous battles had been won more through brute force than any real form of skill. He snapped out of his self-doubt in time to see Mephit's spear blurring towards his face.

He felt the impact, and flew backwards through the air, flipping over the fence and into the yard of the plant. It was yet another rookie error...he had let himself get caught up in what had been asked of him and wasn't concentrating on the fight in hand. Mephit leapt over the fence, driving the tip of her spear towards him. Jordan brought up his hands in a move that would otherwise have been impossible. The servos in his armour meant that clamping his hands either side of the blade, he could exert enough force to stop it inches from his face, even with Mephit putting her whole weight behind it.

He felt her starting to hammer into his sides with hard kicks, but his attention was grabbed by something else. Not far from him, someone was near a chemical tank, cowering in fear. He pulled out his Robo Blade, and kicked Mephit away, flipping back to his feet.

He knew that he couldn't risk using his blaster. In the previous battle with her, he found out to his cost that the fumes Mephit gave out were flammable, and almost killed the whole team as a result. He rushed across, cutting the chain link fence with two wide swings, and kicked it out.

"Get out of here!" Jordan screamed. The hostage didn't seem to need to be told twice. He ran as fast as he could. Jordan rounded on her.

"Now, this is interesting isn't it?" She asked. "I mean, here we are, surrounded by toxic chemicals on all sides, I'm toxic...and here you are...all alone."

Jordan knew she was right. Well, she was partly right. He knew that the workers and the security team had likely fled into the buildings and into lockdown when she attacked. The whole situation was exactly what he was dreading, something he wasn't equipped for. He was in quite literally an explosive environment, with hundreds of innocent bystanders relying on him to be careful. He knew the power his armour gave him, but it was also the problem. He was like a giant in a cardboard world. Anything he did would potentially lead to disaster.

"Let's take this somewhere else." Jordan told her. Mephit just laughed.

"I like it right here." She replied, rushing him with her spear clutched tightly in her hands. Jordan just prepared to defend himself, terrified of what could happen if he unleashed his power.

In the parking complex of a hotel, Eric Goodman tumbled to the ground at the hands of one of his attackers. He was strong, but four on one was tall odds for anyone regardless of skill. He gripped his tactical baton tightly as he got up. He analysed the situation carefully as the four came for him. While fear and anger were his fuel, driving adrenaline, his training meant that even in that fury, he was clinical about how he went.

He rushed for the biggest one of them, the six foot monster, and ducked aside as the guy swung for him. He brought the baton down low, smashing it into his kneecaps with horrendous force, causing him to fall to the ground and scream in agony.

The next thug came at him, forcing him into a soda machine, and kneed him in the gut a few times. Eric head-butted him, staggering him, but as he saw another pulling a knife, he pulled out his glock, and fired a round which tore through his thigh.

Eric gripped the glock tightly as the remaining two thugs stopped their attack and backed up. He hid his injuries well, still relying on adrenaline to keep him on his feet despite his beating. He kept his gun trained on them as they picked up their fallen comrades, and bundled them into the van that blocked the only exit. The van sped away, leaving Eric in the parking lot alone. It was then he allowed himself the luxury of collapsing to his knees, gasping for breath. He pulled out his cell, and dialled Wayne, but he only got his voice mail. He looked up, pointing his gun as someone touched his shoulder. The woman backed away, holding up her hands.

"I'm sorry, I thought you needed help." She told him. Eric just chuckled lightly. Typical, when he needed help, no one was around. When the trouble was over...

"I don't mean to be a drama queen, but could you call the cops and an ambulance?" He asked her. The woman just nodded and ran off to a room with an open door. Obviously she had been there the whole time and seen the whole thing. He just got to his feet, and staggered to a chair, flopping down on it. As the woman returned, she looked to him.

"I called the emergency services." She informed him. "Can I do anything else?"

"You don't happen to have any scotch do you?" He asked. "On the rocks if possible."

As she ran off, he dialled his phone again. He had no joy getting hold of Wayne, so he tried Emma. Unfortunately, she wasn't answering either...in fact...her phone was switched off, likely because she was too busy at the protest. He tried Gia...and didn't get an answer from her either, only getting her voice mail. He looked up as a glass of scotch was held before him.

"Thanks." He replied as he took it. A patrol car rolled up, and a cop got out, seeing Eric in his messed up suit, with blood running from a cut on his forehead. It didn't take a genius to know he was the one they were there to see.

"We heard there was an attack..."

"You could say that." Eric told them. "Four men, all wearing masks and gloves so don't waste time looking for fingerprints."

"Sir..."

"I'm Eric Goodall, CEO of Cerberus Professional Securities." He told them. "One of them was five-eight and about 185 pounds, one was about five 10 and about 200."

"Sir..."

"You might want to take notes, I'm really observant." Eric stated, taking a swig of his whisky. "One was five eleven and about190 pounds, but one of them was a monster. He was about 6' 6" and easily 250."

"Uh...OK." The cop replied, taking down the information. It wasn't often someone could give them such useful information when they were the victim of an assault. Usually, the details were blurry, but for Eric, a large part of his training was observation and analysis. "Anything else?"

"Check the hospitals." Eric told him, handing over his tactical baton. "I doubt there'll be too many guys that are 6' 6" with two fractured patellas."

Back at the plant, Jordan was being battered seven ways from Sunday. The fog made it hard enough to see, even when he knew he wasn't affected by its toxin, but what really crippled him, what really hamstrung his efforts was the fear of the damage he could cause.

Mephit slammed him through a wall into a building. Jordan looked up, and saw that it seemed to be some form of canteen. It was likely where the workers came on break. That meant gas, potential explosion...and...his fear was confirmed as he heard a whimper from the corner. Innocent bystanders!

"Wow, you really are a wuss aren't you?" Mephit taunted him as she stepped in. "You had so much more fight the last time."

Jordan just got up, Troy's words echoing in his head. He had armour, the bystanders didn't. It was best he take the shots than they did. Although he wanted to rush her and tear Mephit's head off, he knew that doing so would likely put everyone else in danger. Mephit rushed him, driving her spear into his gut, rebounding off his armour. He palm-heeled her in the face.

"You slapped me?" She scoffed. "Seriously, you slapped me?"

"I'll take you one hair at a time if I have to." Jordan told her, struggling to maintain his strength. In the battle, he had taken a lot of damage, and while his armour saved him, there was only so much it could take. It was already warning him that it was down to 10 percent efficiency.

Mephit twitched slightly, and held the side of her head.

"No, not now." She stated.

"No, we need to talk NOW!" She called out. Jordan just watched on, completely confused. She was losing it, it was as if Mephit was having a conversation with...herself.

"I have him down..."

"But why are you fighting...?"

"He's a human..."

"You swore you'd NEVER work for Bluefur..."

"Maybe he has a point..."

"LIKE HELL HE DOES!" She screamed in another voice. Jordan watched as frothy spittle formed in her mouth, some of it flying from her. "He's the one that convinced us to stay..."

"What, once we couldn't find food..."

"Exactly!"

Jordan took the opportunity, rugby-tackling her outside while she was arguing with...well...herself, and was distracted. Mephit rolled back to her feet and fled into the forest, pointing her spear at him.

"Don't think this is over Robo Knight!" She warned us. "We ALL want you in the ground!"

"But I..."

"Shut UP!" She screamed at herself, before disappearing. The fog disappeared shortly afterwards.

"We'll debrief in the Command Centre." Troy's voice came over his communicator. "Until then, maintain cover."

"Yeah, cause that's so easy when you wear four hundred pounds of armour." Jordan grumbled as he walked away.

Elsewhere on the site, Emma hid behind a tree and de-morphed. Most of the others had reasonable explanations, none of them had been at the protest. She had been seen by dozens of people though, meaning that she had to explain where she was. The easiest explanation would be that she was just hiding like most of the others.

As she emerged from her hiding place, she found Spider leaning against a tree, lighting up a spliff.

"So, you saw that too?" He asked.

"Kind of hard to miss a six foot skunk." She replied sarcastically. He just shook his head.

"The mutants have said it themselves. We created them." Spider told her. "Humans abused the Earth...now the Earth is fighting back."

"People could have died!" Emma screamed at him. Spider nodded in agreement.

"I guess, I just use philosophy to get me through the scary stuff like...you know...near death experiences?" He told her. He gestured her over to him. "How about I take you to Ernie's and get you a wheatgrass smoothie?"

Emma was reluctant, but she remembered before de-morphing seeing Troy running off. He hadn't stopped, he hadn't talked to anyone, not even her, not even to simply as if she was alright. She knew it was a lost cause. She had pursued Troy now for months, and the guy didn't even seem to know she existed beyond being there for a Zord combination or to fight bad guys.

"Maybe something a little stronger?" Emma suggested as she took Spider's hand. "I could use a latte."

"Well, I'm not into dairy, but whatever you want." Spider replied as he led her away.

Jordan teleported into the command centre, finding Jake, Noah and Troy all waiting. He was already beating himself up over the result of the battle, but he could see that none of them were happy with what happened.

"Where are...?"

"Gia was meant to be waiting at home, so she had to leave." Troy interrupted him. "Emma was at the protest, so she had to put in an appearance to avoid suspicion."

"So...just us?"

"Do we need anyone else?" Jake sneered in disgust. "It's obvious what the problem is."

"Wait, you're putting this on me?" Jordan snapped. He knew that they had a pretty good reason to be angry. He had been charged with a pretty serious responsibility. He had been told to take care of Mephit, but when the time came, he choked.

"No one's blaming..."

"Speak for yourself Noah." Jake stated bluntly, cutting off the Blue Ranger. Jordan knew that Noah and Jake had been best friends for years, so he knew Jake had to feel strongly about the issue if he was so rude to Noah. "I'm saying what everyone else is thinking. You were given the ball and you fumbled it! We kept the others off you to let you concentrate on her, and you still screwed it up!"

"I was in the middle of a sodding CHEMICAL PLANT!" Jordan roared. "The whole place was a bomb waiting to go off, what did you expect me to do?"

"You wanted the morpher, now you've got it." Jake said abruptly as he tapped a key on his morpher. "Don't bitch and whine because things get tough."

With that, he disappeared, presumably teleporting to a safe place he wouldn't be noticed near his home. Jordan looked to the others, and while they were more diplomatic, it was clear they thought the same way Jake did. He had gone from one extreme to the other, and hadn't fought back against Mephit out of fear of the damage he could cause. He knew he had screwed up, and no one could kick his ass more than he was kicking it himself. Noah just looked to him.

"I've got to get the classroom ready for Mr Burley tomorrow." He said, not even looking at Jordan. He teleported away, leaving Jordan and Troy in the command centre alone.

Jordan just held his hands on his hips. He had received nothing but lectures since he had been revealed as the Robo Knight. His team only took him on because they didn't actually know how he had even gotten his powers, ever mind how to transfer them to someone else. He didn't know himself why he had these powers. It was like a sick joke that someone had found out he wanted desperately to be a Ranger...and shoved it all down his throat and expected him to get it in two seconds flat.

"Well, everyone else has had their shot." Jordan said somewhat petulantly. He knew himself that it was a little childish. He screwed up, he knew he had, but so far all it seemed like no matter what he did, it was wrong. Even when he tried to help, it was wrong! When he attacked a monster, it was wrong! When he had a fight, he somehow did it wrong! "Well?"

"I don't need to kick your ass." Troy said dejectedly, shaking his head. "I think you're doing that enough for all of us."

"Wait, that's it?" Jordan demanded angrily. "No, 'hey, nice job with that skink bitch, she kicked the crap out of you!', no 'oh, hey, nice job Jordan, you managed to do sod all to help ANYONE in that last battle'?"

"Like I said, you're kicking your own ass enough for all of us." Troy answered, putting a hand on his shoulder. "There's a lesson to be learned, do us all a favour and learn it."

As Troy disappeared, leaving Jordan alone, he felt nothing but shame and rage. He had done nothing. He had stood and taken a beating while Mephit ran amok. He had let everyone down. He grabbed a console, ripping it out the ground with a savage yell and slammed it to the floor, shattering it. It was a childish display, but he needed to do something to let out his frustration. With that, he disappeared, allowing Gosei to teleport him home. He was determined that he would never feel this level of failure again.


	34. A Welcome Return

**A/N: **So, another chapter I've kind of held up. I really can only thank you all for your patience with this. Also, as a comment...I know this has been one of the LONGEST weekends in Fanfiction HISTORY! (I think it's been nearly ten chapters so far!) So, bringing it back to the school is a welcome change. Hope you enjoy it.

After the battle, Gia and Emma got back to the house, fortunately, before Eric did. They didn't know where he was, much less that he had been attacked. He had a lot to take care of. It meant that they had plenty of time to get cleaned up, and composed, ready to look like nothing of note had happened while they were otherwise occupied with Mephit.

"I really hope Jordan pulls it together quickly." Gia grumbled as she finished brushing her hair after her shower. "The suits took the worst of it, but I still feel like we have to stink."

"I keep telling you, it'll be fine." Emma told her. "That cleanser we used is specially formulated."

"Yeah, that's another thing." Gia began with a little smile on her face. "Is there any reason in particular you happen to have a bottle of anti-skunk oil cleanser just sitting in your room?"

"It's just part and parcel of being a nature photographer." Emma answered with a shrug. "I might love taking photos of plants and animals, some of them though...not so much. I've been bitten and stung a few times..."

"And sprayed?" Gia teased her. Emma just nodded dejectedly. Gia couldn't help laughing when she heard that.

"Like I said, some of the animals I got pictures of really didn't appreciate being disturbed." Emma told her.

"Well, I feel a bit better now." Gia teased her. "I mean, I can never remember you stinking like a skunk, so obviously this stuff has to work."

"Yeah, it really does." Emma replied as she sat with Gia. "Um...Gia, something happened at the protest..."

"Yeah?" Gia asked sarcastically. "A seven foot skunk attack?"

"No, I mean...before that." She continued, trying to bring the conversation around to what she wanted to talk about. "I saw Brittany."

"Oh." Gia answered. It was only two days since the fight, so Gia was under no false impressions that she had to still be showing signs of the beating Gia gave her in Cat's defence. "So, I guess..."

"Spider told me what happened." Emma interrupted her sadly. She felt guilty now about the way she had treated Gia. She had been hurt about the fact that Gia kept secrets from her, and took it to heart. Knowing the nature of the secret she was keeping, knowing that it wasn't her own interest she was serving, but Cat's, she felt more than a little bit childish about the way she spat the dummy over not being kept in the loop. "He told me about the fight, and he told me what it was about."

Gia breathed a deep sigh.

"Look, I knew you'd find out sooner or later." Gia answered quietly. "It's probably going to be all round the school when we go back tomorrow, but I just...I couldn't tell you. It wasn't my place."

"Trust me Gia, I get that." Emma told her. "It wasn't that long ago I saw what you went through. I know it's only natural that you wanted to protect her."

"It looks like I did a bang up job of that." Gia said with a shake of the head. "I know Cat's never been...well...you know what I'm trying to say..."

"She definitely seems to live in the moment far more than she thinks things through." Emma offered, knowing what Gia was trying to say. Despite what a lot of people thought, Cat wasn't stupid. She got decent grades in school, she was an excellent artist...but half the time, the things that came out of her mouth made people wonder what planet she was on. It was one of the reasons she never seemed to have much in the way of friends. Every now and then some kids would hang out with her, but at times it was more as a way of humouring her than anything else.

"I know, but coming out, in front of half the kids in town...in the middle of the fricking Brainfreeze?" Gia screamed. "What did she really think was going to happen?"

"Maybe she was inspired by someone she looks up to." Emma suggested, remembering the comics. "You know, I don't know why I never figured it out before, but when I found out she changed her handle to her real name, I realised she was the one that drew those comics."

"Yeah, she was." Gia stated.

"The ones that cast you as the Red Ranger?" Emma continued, nudging her a little. "I guess if anyone in town has someone they're going to idolise, the Red Ranger's a pretty obvious choice."

"She said she admired me because she thought I was brave." Gia told her. "I convinced her to take down the comics by making her realise that if someone figured out she was drawing them, it would lead them to her handle on the Flaghip."

"That's pretty good advice, it was pretty smart too." Emma said with a smile. It was a pretty decent way of solving the issue of how to get rid of the comics without revealing the real reason she wanted them gone. "I know Noah wasn't really happy about being Yellow, but Troy didn't mind being Black...Jake was alright with being Blue...and I guess choosing all your most obvious friends, the odds of chance said she was bound to get one of us in the right colour."

Gia just slumped back into the couch. Emma could see that there was something else to the story, something Gia was obviously upset about.

"You did a good thing standing up for her." Emma said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I know you went through a lot, but...no one tried anything like that with you. They knew better than to try it."

"Brittany picked on her because she knew Cat wouldn't fight back." Gia muttered. "When she ran into someone who would, she got what was coming to her."

She looked to Emma, and she finally relented. She could see Emma had seen through her. She was upset about what happened to Cat, mainly because she didn't want to see anyone getting hurt like that, but also because a part of her felt guilty about what she saw as her part in the whole sorry tale.

"Cat was upset about having to stop the comics, so I told her she could send some of her work directly to me." Gia told her. "She sent one comic in particular."

Gia handed Emma her phone, so that Emma could see it. It was the one that revealed Cat to be the Robo Knight. Emma's eyebrows shot up as she saw the final panel.

"Wow...um..." Emma stammered. "I guess...I should probably have seen that coming."

"Emma..."

"What? You're the hottest girl in school!" Emma said with a little grin. "I guess it wasn't just the guys that thought so."

"Well, the thing is, I had a little talk with her." Gia continued. "I'm not...um...I'm just not in that place to even think about something with..."

"Hey, everyone takes a while to get over their first love." Emma assured her, giving her a warm look. She knew how Gia felt about her, and while there was a little bit of her that still felt slightly awkward about it, they had managed to get past it for the most part. They meant too much to each other. Gia had already accepted that Emma was never going to feel that way about her, but Emma could guess that didn't necessarily mean that she would simply get over it overnight and start looking elsewhere.

"Well, I tried to let her down easily, I tried to explain that." Gia continued. "And in doing so...I may have said that we couldn't exactly have much of a relationship...if she was hiding who she was."

"Which she took to mean..." Emma put two and two together. It was only natural Gia felt upset about the misunderstanding. Obviously Cat took her suggestion that Cat couldn't be ready for a relationship if she wasn't yet ready to be honest about herself as a direct statement that they could be together if Cat came out. "Well...if there is anything good to come out of this, then at least you know she's serious."

"I kind of got that part." Gia told her. "I just wish she didn't have to get her face used as a punching bag in the process."

"Well, maybe this is for the best in the long run." Emma suggested. "Hear me out, I know you've had problems because of this, but just think about it. How have you felt since all of this came out?"

"You mean apart from the fact that half the school turned on me?" Gia asked her. "I guess most of that has died down, the kids have tended to move on to other gossip and scandals."

"You and Jake seem to be closer." Emma commented. Gia just smiled.

"I guess that's true." Gia answered. "Since we got all of that out the way...he's been a really good friend. He took it all really well. I guess we've gotten to really understand each other."

"I feel like we've been a lot closer too." Emma told her, taking her hand. "I don't know, I guess, there was always a little something there that I couldn't explain, that somehow we both knew that there was something there, something that stopped us being completely open with each other. Now, I think we finally are."

"Noah's been really cool about it all. I guess this has shown me a lot about him that I guess I couldn't see past the whole science geek thing." Gia continued. "Troy's never been anything but nice about it all. I mean, I know we didn't know each other too well before all this anyway, but afterwards..."

"I've also seen that smile a few more times since all this." Emma continued. "Like, suddenly you don't feel the pressure to pretend you're someone you're not."

"I think I know what you mean." Gia continued. "Maybe if Cat can ride out the storm..."

"The other kids will find another target; people will stop caring about her news." Emma told her. "Then, maybe she can get on with not having to hide all the time."

"You always manage to find a way to see the best in the world." Gia commented.

"It is difficult sometimes." Emma answered. "So...the day Cat was attacked...you were out pretty late."

"I was at her place." Gia admitted. She saw the look Emma gave her. "Her brother works nights. She was upset, and we didn't want to leave her alone until we were sure she was OK."

"So...you stayed with her until after midnight?" Emma asked her with a little smirk.

"Oh come on Emma!" Gia answered impatiently. "You seriously think...? Oh come on, do you drool over every guy you see? What makes you think it'd be any different for me..."

"Well, you have spent a lot of time with her." Emma pressed on. "She is kind of cute in her own way. I guess it wouldn't be too hard to see the attraction."

"Look, we just watched DVD's OK?" Gia told her. "We watched Game of Thrones; turns out she really likes all that fantasy stuff, the dragons especially."

"Really?" Emma asked. "Wait, isn't it the blonde with the dragons that you like from that show?"

"You really suck sometimes, you know that?" Gia snapped, throwing a pillow at her. Just then, Eric came in. They could see his clothes were slightly messed up, but he was otherwise largely unharmed. Emma just looked at him.

"Dad..."

"Emma, could you do something for dinner?" He asked her. Emma just nodded and headed through to the kitchen. "Gia, could you look for a DVD for us? Something light-hearted, a Disney movie or something."

"Mr Goodall?" She asked.

"Please, I just...I really want to be around you both tonight." He told her. "I'm just going to get changed. I'll be down in a moment."

He went up to his room, and started to get changed, pulling out his cell phone. He called up Wayne.

"Eric, I was just running a sweep of the plant, I was going to call!" Wayne told him. "The cops called me, I heard about the attack, what happened?"

"Wayne, I don't want anyone else involved in this." He told him flatly. "The kid you sent to drive me to the plant, he set me up."

"That little..." His words tailed off. "I swear to God, I don't know how anyone got past your security vetting, I'll launch a full investigation..."

"No, like I said, I don't want anyone else involved." Eric told him. "Now, the cops are checking their own leads, but I want that kid. I want to know who he is, and who he works for."

"Eric..."

"Someone managed to get into my firm." Eric snapped. "The only way to know who I can trust is to limit who's involved. I want you to personally vet everyone from the top down!"

"Eric..."

"They've attacked me at home, and they've infiltrated my company Wayne!" He snapped. "Someone's threatening my family. I need you to do this."

"You can rely on me." Wayne assured him.

Elsewhere, Jordan was in the basement of his house. His dad had set up a gym in the basement for him, knowing how much Jordan enjoyed his training. It kept him occupied while his dad was working late, which he often did.

He was still overcome with his disappointment at his failure to take care of Mephit. He had managed to go from one extreme to the other in his battle. The first time he had fought, he had taken half the street with him, and almost killed the rest of the team. It was a failing he knew he had that he was finding it hard to get used to limiting collateral damage. In the last fight, he was so terrified of the potential fallout of such carelessness at the chemical plant.

Hammering into the heavy bag, he looked down in frustration. He had marked out a square on the floor with tape that he intended not to step outside, trying to work on his control. Unfortunately, he was struggling with that.

He finally lost his temper. Throwing a hard punch, his armour burst forth, surrounding his fist and lending him its strength. The bag flew off the hook, smashing through some equipment, and slamming into the wall. Jordan realised what he had done, and was glad his dad was working late yet again. He recalled his armour, and went to observe the damage. The rest of the equipment didn't look to be damaged, just overturned, but the bag was split. He sighed and looked around for some duct tape. It wasn't as if it was the first time he had repaired the bag. He was just glad that unlike out in the field, he didn't have to worry too much about the damage he caused in here.

Looking around, at the basement once more, he suddenly got a thought, and a smile crossed his face. The answer was so obvious; he couldn't believe he hadn't seen it before. Next time he met Mephit, it would be very different.

The following morning, the school was finally allowing kids to return after the long weekend. There were still obvious signs of repair going on, but it had been ruled safe for the kids to return. There were some mixed feelings on the subject. While most of the kids liked having the unscheduled time off, some of the older kids, the Juniors and Seniors, would soon be sitting tests, and wanted to get back to their schedules.

As they got to the school, Jae found Troy once again wearing his familiar red t-shirt. He gestured to the shirt.

"What gives?" He asked. "I thought you were student Gestapo these days."

"I was a prefect." Troy grumbled. "And I gave the shirt back. The principal called and told me that all his new rules have been relaxed. It seems there's been a lot of backlash from the parents. Their kids were really unhappy about their treatment, and since that badger thing kind of showed his rules didn't make us any safer, they complained. He's overturned all his new rules."

"Well, I guess some good came out of Jordan's demented tango with that thing through the canteen then." Jake answered.

Troy and Jake sighed, seeing the scaffolding supporting the wall.

"Well, you've got to give it to him, Robo Knight is powerful." Jake commented. "If the Ranger thing doesn't work out, there's always demolition."

"You know, you really should be more supportive." Troy told him. "I mean, none of us were exactly that brilliant when we began."

"Yeah, well...I don't remember ever bringing down a building around helpless bystanders." Jake commented.

"No, but if you remember rightly, you almost took Noah's head off the first time you used that Snake Axe." Troy reminded him. Jake just rolled his eyes.

"Fine, I'll try to be more supportive." Jake grumbled as they headed inside. They ran into Emma in the hall and followed her into the chemistry lab for first period. They found Gia, Cat and Noah in the lab already, having set up a bunch of equipment, much of which they recognised as the soil samples from the field trip that had started the whole debacle in the first place.

They could sense a lot of excitement as the rest of the kids filed back into the class, a lot more than usual. The kids took their seats quickly, awaiting the first bell eagerly.

As Mr Burley came to the class, returning to his position after his suspension, he got a huge round of applause from the students. They were all delighted to see him back. He was easily one of the most popular teachers in the school. Even some of the kids that had been scared and angry, and called for him to be punished were pleased to see him return, given the flipside was the principal's view of what the school should be.

"Thank you class, thank you." He said with a huge smile, accepting the adulation. "Now, try to calm down. We have a lot to get through today, but firstly, I thought a little brainteaser to get you back to the mindset for science."

The students all sat forward, waiting for the question. They had missed his brain teasers which they knew always led into an interesting lesson.


	35. Eric's Search

Eric hated taking cabs. He hated public transportation of all descriptions really. It wasn't as though he had any form of moral objection to it, indeed he had been convinced by Emma long ago that a reliable, low-cost public transportation would cut down on traffic congestion and pollution, but his work in security had somewhat coloured his views on the matter. It was a lot harder to keep a client safe if he couldn't vouch for the driver, the vehicle or the other people in the vehicle. All things considered, his preferred method of travel was in a car, and with only his client and other members of his team, one of whom was a trained driver.

It was something of a necessity though. His own car was still in the shop being repaired after the attack at his home, and the last time he had used a driver from his firm, he'd been taken straight into an ambush. It had been years since he had found himself being so vulnerable. He could write off the attack at his home, he wasn't exactly hard to find. His number was listed in the local phone directory, and if someone REALLY wanted to find him, it was possible they could just watch him and see where he lived. Unfortunately, they had managed to get a lot closer to him than that. Somehow, whoever had been sending the threats to him had managed to infiltrate his own company. It was the first time he wasn't even sure he could trust the people around him.

He had already told Wayne to start making enquiries at work, ever since it became apparent that the driver that had been sent had somehow gotten into his firm under false credentials. He was generally very careful about who he employed. In the early years of his business, he and Wayne handled the recruitment process themselves. They would perform the background checks, and interview the candidates, before putting them through an initiation process that generally sent most people who were unsuitable for the job packing. About sixty percent of those that even made it to the initiation stage quit, and a further thirty were flunked out. His firm was the best for a reason; he was looking for top-end bodyguards, not two-dollar rent-a-thugs.

He had to admit that in recent months though, his contracts had been piling up, and he was forced to delegate the recruitment process to Wayne. He trusted Wayne implicitly; they had been in the same unit during their time in the Marines. Wayne had saved his life in the field more than once, so when they left the forces, Eric's first choice for a business partner was a no-brainer. Wayne was officially the first share-holder and employee of Cerberus Private Securities.

As he pulled up to his office, he paid the driver, and got out of the cab, making his way through the doors and into the lobby. He cruised straight through the metal detector, setting it off, but since he owned the company, none of the security team looked twice at him. While it was perfectly reasonable for most of the employees to carry weapons, he still kept a very strict security protocol in the lobby. Everyone would have to pass through a metal detector, and have their personal items checked out by the security team on duty. They then had to present photographic ID, and sign the register before having any items returned to them. If they were an employee, they were permitted to carry weapons. Anyone else would be given a receipt, and their weapons held at the desk for collection when they left.

He went up in the elevator all the way to the top floor, where his office was located, and found Wayne standing at his desk with a report. It was a pretty thick folder, suggesting that Wayne had been pretty busy already.

"Alright, tell me you have some good news." Eric stated, picking up his mail. Wayne opened the file.

"Well, the driver was new; he was hired two months ago. He was only on duty out of initiation for a fortnight." Wayne began. "I did some digging into his application and background, all of his credentials looked good, but when I looked a bit deeper..."

"They were fake?" Eric surmised. Wayne nodded, handing him the file on the driver.

"Bloody good fakes, I'll give him that." He admitted.

"Roy Harper?" Eric asked. "That name sounds familiar."

"It did to me too, I realised why when I got home and my kids were watching 'Young Justice' on the TV." Wayne continued. "It's the secret identity of Red Arrow."

"The kid used a comic book character's name and you didn't notice?" Eric asked incredulously. "Damn it Wayne, a basic Google search would have flagged that! How could you have missed that?"

"Well, that's where I have to make an uncomfortable admission." Wayne began to say a little awkwardly. "We've got a lot of contracts on, and the plant security's been taking a pretty heavy toll on man hours, so I had to delegate some of the recruitment to HR."

"You mean you never handled this guy's recruitment at all?" Eric asked him, shaking his head. "Alright, how long..."

"Three months." Wayne admitted. "I transferred responsibility for security vetting to HR three months ago. Eric, I'm sorry..."

"No, this might actually be a blessing in disguise." Eric cut him off as he thought about the new information. He pointed to the other folder. "Alright, what's that?"

"I've been going through all the recruitment files since the firm opened its doors." Wayne told him. "These are the ones I've already verified."

"We can cut the list down; you stopped being involved in recruitment in February." Eric reminded him. "Since..."

"We'll start from December." Wayne sighed. Eric just looked at him. "You stopped being involved in recruitment when we took on the Henderson account. You can rely on your own judgement..."

"Wayne..."

"Please, this is my cock-up." Wayne said regretfully. "I made a huge mistake taking myself out of the recruitment process. If I made a mistake there, I'd feel more comfortable with you double-checking my work."

"Alright, fine, that still gives us five months of recruitment files to go through." Eric stated. "How many people have we hired in that time?"

"Twenty three." Wayne answered. Eric just looked at him, a little surprised by the answer. "Six of them were security, the rest were mostly office and admin staff. We had a fair number of people leave town when the monster attacks started."

"That makes sense I guess." Eric stated as he buzzed the intercom to his secretary. "Can you have two coffees brought through?"

They each grabbed a tablet, and pulled up employee records. Eric just looked at Wayne.

"So, Roy Harper was a dead end?" He asked.

"We checked out the address, and it turns out there is a Harper family living there." He informed him. "However they said there was never a Roy in the family. We checked their birth records to be sure."

"That's pretty smart." Eric admitted, referring to the fact that the imposter had put in some work to ensure a cursory check of the address would check out. "What about the reference call?"

"Cell phone." Wayne informed him. Eric just stroked the bridge of his nose in frustration. A cell phone should never have been used as an acceptable reference. If it was a burn phone, which he was now certain it would be, then anyone could answer it and verify the story of the imposter. As the secretary came in with the coffee, he just looked to her.

"Could you have the Ashley sent up here?" He asked. Ashley was the HR director for his company. If neither of them was involved in the security vetting, then the HR department would have been, meaning that ultimately the responsibility for the mistake was hers.

"Right away." She replied as she left. Wayne just looked to Eric as the door closed.

"We're looking for a new HR director aren't we?" He asked. Eric just leaned back in his chair and started reading.

"Unless she has something very good to say, that'll be the least of her problems." He replied.

Back at the school, the debate was starting to get lively. Mr Burley's opening brain-teaser to the double period had been to pose the question of what should be done with the land around the old chemical plant. It was a contentious issue for the town as a whole, especially since the Toxic Mutants had shown up. Now that there had been a very direct demonstration of the harm pollution could cause, everyone had a point of view, something that extended even to the kids.

"We should napalm the crap out of it!" One student declared. "Burn out the whole area!"

"Are you serious?" Emma asked him incredulously.

"Those mutants are dangerous! We could have been killed that day!" He stated. "The Rangers have fought them all over town; I say we should take them out first!"

"So you destroy the whole area?" Jake asked. "Talk about overkill, what about taking responsibility? They only exist because of the stuff that company dumped there!"

"That is taking responsibility! We created a problem, so we end it!" A girl called out. "If you ask me, what I want to know is why the Rangers haven't already used those robot things of theirs to blow them all to Kingdom Come!"

"The Rangers are defenders, not assassins." Troy chipped in. "If the mutants attack, I'm sure they'll act, but the one thing you don't want to do is provoke a war that you don't have to."

"We're already at war!"

"Think about it, there are dozens of species in those woods, how many mutants potentially are there?" Spider chipped in from the corner. Emma and the others looked around at him. "We've already seen how powerful these mutants are, and if we presume that there are more of them, how many are there? If one at a time can give the Rangers problems, then what would an invasion do?"

The Rangers all looked around each other. It was something that had occurred to them, they just didn't want to say it out loud. They knew that the Warstar had a lot more logistical problems sending monsters, since they had to send them from orbit. The mutants were only on the edge of town!

"What if not all the mutants hate us?" Spider asked. "They're animals too, maybe if we just leave them alone. How can we judge all of them for the actions of only a few?"

Emma smiled a little hearing this point of view. It was an uplifting thought. Of all the Rangers, she had the biggest problem dealing with the mutants, knowing that at one time they were actual animals. It was down to human negligence that they were what they now were. It wasn't their fault that they were now unnatural creatures that should never have existed. She was, of course, pragmatic, in that if a mutant was attacking, she would defend the innocent, but a part of her still wished that they didn't need to harm creatures who had already been so tragically wronged.

"Besides, don't we owe it to them to give them a chance to live in peace?" Troy questioned the class. "Like someone said, it's our fault they're even here. We should take responsibility for that."

"As for the land, there's no reason we have to leave it as it is." Noah added, gesturing to the samples. "I've already started working on some of the samples to identify what chemicals are in the land."

"Yeah, we can help." Cat agreed. "Maybe if we know what's in the land, we can start making stuff to clean it up...like giving a sick person medicine..."

"Oh, that's the world's answer for everything isn't it?" Spider snapped at her. "You cause a mess with chemicals, so what's your answer? Pour on more chemicals? That sounds like the ideal solution!"

"She's right, if we can do something..." Noah started to say, before Spider just laughed.

"Well what a surprise that YOU want to rely on technology and chemicals to solve everything!" He chuckled.

"And I suppose if you're sick you've never taken an aspirin..."

"Actually I use entirely holistic remedies." Spider told him. "I think we should leave the land, and the mutants be. In time, nature will sort itself out. Man's caused enough harm."

"So we just do nothing and let those mutants..."

"Like I said, if they attack, we have every right to defend ourselves." Troy interrupted the other student. "Until then, maybe they have the same rights we do."

"Well, those are some very interesting thoughts." Mr Burley stated, realising that this was a debate that could easily take up the whole lesson, and many others. "Now, we do have a lot of work to do to identify all the pollutants in the soil samples, so if you will all separate into groups of three and begin."

"Where are you going?" Emma asked. Gia just looked over to where Cat was waving her over.

"I kind of promised her I'd be her study buddy when she was in hospital." Gia told them. Emma just got kind of a sly grin on her face, which Gia ignored, just storming over to the other table. She turned back to the group, seeing that while she was distracted by Gia, Jordan, Jake and Troy had already formed a group. That left her with Noah, who smiled at her.

"Well, I guess we did buddy up at the site." He commented, offering her some safety goggles. Emma was a little disappointed, not because she had any problem working with the best student in the science class, virtually guaranteeing an A for their results, but because her moment of distraction had prevented her from getting into Troy's group before he had chosen someone else.

It was typical that he overlooked her, everyone did. For years as the best friend of Gia, the hottest girl in school, she was always standing in a shadow that meant no one ever saw her. Although it wasn't Gia's fault, and she never resented her for it, she had to admit that it always hurt that for most of her formative years, most guys only approached her, or noticed her at all as a way to get closer to Gia, and ask about her. Even when Gia came out, and more or less stopped being the main object of male attention in the school, people still always seemed to think of Emma as just Gia's friend.

She had noticed Troy when he first arrived at the school. He had astounded her with his answer to Mr Burley's brainteaser on his first day about what species would survive. While she always thought that insects would outlive humans, and believed humans to be inherently self-destructive, he was more optimistic, stating that he believed if humans worked together, they could beat anything.

It was a view that she loved, and wanted to believe in. While history was not on man's side when it came to uniting as one, it was a view of a brighter future she wanted to see. When people would realise that the Earth and everything in it was stronger as one, and would stop abusing it, that there would be a world where everything lived in the harmony her mother always sang to her about as a little girl.

Over time, she found herself looking at him more and more. She was spending as much time around him as she possibly could, even outside of her Ranger duties. She still found her stomach a little uneasy around him when they were alone. She wished that he would finally see her, and notice that she would do anything for him. Unfortunately, just like everyone else, he didn't seem to notice. He just overlooked her, and while she was becoming used to it, it still hurt that he never noticed her.

Noah nudged her and she realised that she had drifted off, and wasn't paying attention.

"Emma, would you pass...?"

"Hey, this is the last group." Spider interrupted as he came over, plopping himself down on a seat next to Emma. He picked up a bottle and handed it to Noah. "So what are we doing first, distillation, checking pH...?"

"You know, for someone who's so critical of science, you're pretty knowledgeable about it." Noah commented. Spider just smiled.

"You need to know the weapons of your enemy if you're going to use them against them." He stated, looking to Emma. "Say Emma, are you interested in doing a little photography work for an article I'm doing for the school paper?"

"Um...sure I guess." She answered. He flashed a bright smile at her. "What's the story? Is it the protest?"

"It's connected to that." Spider told her with a smile. "I was planning on going to Queen Power and Energy. I'm planning on talking to a few people, asking a few questions about what they're planning to do with their waste."

"Well, I guess we could try..."

"Tell you what; let's talk about it more at the Environmental Club." He suggested as Mr Burley cleared his throat to bring their attention back to the experiment in hand.

With that, they went back to work.

Back at the Cerberus offices, Eric and Wayne had put aside their checks into the recruitment records when Ashley came in.

Ashley was sitting in her chair, beginning to feel a crushing feeling in her chest as Wayne explained why she was there. Given the nature of the issue, he had to tell her about the threats, including showing her some extremely upsetting pictures of the initial threat sent to his house, the damage done to his car, and finally, the police report of the attack at the hotel. Someone her department had hired had set Eric up to be attacked. It looked like he hadn't slipped through their security checks, it looked like even more gallingly, they hadn't been performed, and certainly not to Eric's standards. She knew she was in deep trouble.

"I...I'm sorry..."

"We have these checks for a reason Ashley." Eric said coldly. When he was like this, it was even more terrifying than when he was yelling. He got to a place in his anger when instead of losing control; he became instead very calculating, and focused. "One of the employees your department hired came into this company was not who he said he was, something even the simplest checks..."

"We did check out his credentials I swear!" Ashley protested. "His certificate, his driving licence..."

"They were excellent fakes." Wayne conceded, looking to Eric. "They almost fooled me, and our friend at the FBI said they almost passed his tests."

"The problem is, they're for a person that doesn't exist." Eric told her. "Do you have any idea what could have happened? What if you hired someone in the filing room? They could take all sorts of client details!"

"Please, I'm really sorry!" Ashley told him.

"Well, I'm afraid that sorry isn't going to cut it." Eric told her. "Now, did you do the recruitment for Roy Harper?"

Ashley just looked to him sadly and nodded her head. He just sighed, but his phone bleeped indicating that he had been sent something. He turned his back as Wayne continued to question her.

Eric's jaw clenched as he saw that it was another threat. This time, it was a couple of simple pictures sent to his phone. One was of Emma at the protest, with a set of crosshairs superimposed over her head. The other was of Gia, also with a crosshair over her head. The message simply said "quit while you're ahead...and they still have theirs."

Having had enough, he turned back to Wayne and Ashley.

"Go to your office and clear out your desk." He snapped.

"I...I...I..."

He buzzed for his secretary as she tried to stammer out an apology.

"Have someone sent to my office to escort Ashley to her office and then off the premises." He instructed his secretary. He then looked to her angrily. "Your last check will be sent in the mail. Get out of my sight, and don't even think of coming back here or I guarantee you'll regret it."

As someone arrived, Ashley got up in tears, and dutifully left with her escort. Wayne just whistled.

"Well...that went well." Eric showed Wayne the phone, at which he suddenly understood.

"Send that phone to our tech guys to trace that message." He instructed him. "Then, I want every scrap of paper, every interview tape, the works on EVERYONE hired in the last five months."

"Eric..."

"We're going through every one of them with a fine toothed comb, even if it takes all night!" Eric continued. "Also, step up efforts on finding Roy Harper. When you do, I want to know."

"Eric, calm down." Wayne said soothingly. "Please, if..."

"If it was Mikey or Jamee you'd be the same way!" Eric interrupted him. "These guys have already gone too far. If they want trouble, they've got it!"


	36. Breakthrough

The rest of the morning progressed, with most of the teachers preparing the kids for their exams which were not far off. Emma though, wasn't really concentrating. She was a decent student, not necessarily on the level of Noah or Gia, who were both A average students, but she certainly averaged a high B, so she wasn't too concerned about tuning out some of the teachers as they were going over some of the stuff they had been going over again and again for weeks.

She sat, watching Troy as he took notes and listened intently. She imagined that as a result of moving schools mid-term there had to have been some stuff he had missed, but he never seemed to let that faze him. He never seemed to let anything get to him much; he just seemed to meet everything with a calm, poised, and placid demeanour that mirrored the nature she loved so much. When Callum and Dirk had hassled him, he never wavered in the face of the threat. Whenever a monster showed up, he always came up with a plan, directing the others with a certainty that mirrored the plan nature had for the world.

Just like nature though, he was also a force to be reckoned with. When threatened, or when his team was threatened, he had the strength of a hurricane. Creepox in particular had found that out the hard way, losing his life when he forced Troy into a fight to the finish. When all was said and done, one of the Warstar's mightiest warriors fell at his feet.

Despite all that though, he was always striving to be better, to be more than what he already was. He constantly trained the others, and strived to make them at least the equal of, or even superior to any of the previous teams. It was a tall task, especially since they had now met one of the previous team, and knew that they had been trained for their role since birth. With a smile though, especially with all the extra time he was putting in with Jordan to curb his enthusiasm, she had a feeling that he would manage it if he had his way.

As the bell rang, she packed up her things, heading towards the cafeteria...or rather; she was heading to the gym which until further notice was being used as the cafeteria while the real cafeteria was being rebuilt following Jordan's battle through the school with the badger mutant. As she was heading there, she found a scene building in the hallway.

Spider was being shoved back and forth by a couple of larger students, but as one of them grabbed him, he seemed far from scared. If anything, he looked like he was smiling.

"So you think we should leave those mutant things alone?" One of them yelled at him. "You want to protect them do you hippie?"

"I've got no problems with any mutants." Spider stated calmly. "No mutant's ever called me hippie."*

The larger student punched him hard in the jaw, sending Spider to the ground. Emma made her way over, but he was already getting back up.

"Wow, that's a great argument. Believe what I believe or I'll hurt you." Spider said sarcastically. "It takes a lot of brains to use that logic."

The bigger guy punched him in the ribs, before hooking him to the ground. Spider just got up again and wiped his face with his sleeve.

"By the way, you punch like a wuss." Spider commented. The others just shook their heads and walked away as the big guy just pointed to him.

"You're sick man. You're a freak." He stated as he left. Emma went to Spider and looked to him.

"Are you...?"

"I've had worse, believe me." Spider assured her. "Some of the rent-a-thugs some of the places I've picketed use can get a little carried away."

"Yeah, thank God it's Cerberus doing the security at the Queen plant protest." Emma replied. "Um...do you want to get cleaned up or something?"

"What do I have to be ashamed of?" He asked her. "I'm just glad that now the lockdown's over, I can go out for lunch. This place's idea of vegan is grilled asparagus."

Emma just nodded. She wasn't vegan herself, she wasn't even vegetarian. She did insist her dad shopped for goods that had been ethically sourced, since her objection was more with the treatment of the animals during their life than their slaughter for food or textiles. Still, she had signed the petitions for revisions to the menu in the canteen. The State required that options were available for those who had dietary needs, whose religion forbade certain foods, and for those who were vegetarian or vegan, but that didn't mean those options were particularly inspired. Even Jake, who kept Kosher, had commented that he often ended up eating macaroni cheese four days out of five.

"I didn't know you were vegan." She commented. He smiled and nodded.

"Going on three years now." He informed her. "It's not easy, but I found a lot of really good sites that give really good diet tips. A lot of people don't believe you can be vegetarian or vegan without taking a load of pills, but if you eat right, you can."

"Say, would you like to come with me?" He asked her. "We could maybe talk about that story I was telling you about."

"I don't know, I kind of said I'd meet up with..."

"Hey Emma." Troy said as he arrived, putting a hand on her shoulder. She felt the little tingle she often did as he touched her. Usually, it was followed quickly by her ending up on the ground because he tended to only touch her when they were training, but it was still there. "Hey, are you OK?"

"Trust me; it looks worse than it is." Spider assured him, gesturing to his face. "Sadly, not a lot of people like my view of the world, and are patient enough to use words instead of fists."

"Maybe you should..."

"I'll deal with it." Spider interrupted him as Noah and Jake arrived. Spider saw the group and smiled.

"Anyway, I'd hate to take you from your friends, meet me outside the science lab after final bell. We can talk about it then." Spider told Emma, looking her in the eye as though to once again assure her that he was alright without making a fuss in front of her friends. "Catch you around."

"That guy is seriously weird." Noah stated. Emma just rounded on him.

"Why?" She asked him. "Because he has a different point of view?"

"No, because he looks like he just went three rounds with Frank Mir and is walking around without a care in the world." He responded. "What happened?"

"It's like he said, some people didn't like what he had to say." Emma told him. Noah just snorted.

"Yeah, no wonder." He sneered. "Condescending jackass."

"Whatever man, he has his view, if he's willing to take the fallout, far be it from me to try and talk some sense into him." Jake replied. "Anyway, I'm hungry, and it's...oh, surprise surprise, mac and cheese day."

"For you maybe, for us it's mousakka...which means lasagne without pasta!" Noah moaned.

"So do any of you know where Jordan is?" Jake asked.

"He said he was seeing Tensou about something at lunch." Noah replied as they walked away. Emma just looked down the path Spider had taken. She had kind of known him for a little while through the Environmental Club, but she hadn't really spoken with him too much. She was torn between going with him, and with her friends.

"Emma, are you coming?" Troy asked her. She turned, and looked at him, only to see the same vacant, slightly disinterested look in his eyes that broke her heart every day. She longed for him to see her the way she saw him, but it was becoming more and more clear that she would never be what he wanted. She just shook her head and started to back away.

"Someone should really check on Spider." She told him. "I'll see you this afternoon."

Back at Cerberus, Eric and Wayne had gone through the files, and were individually interviewing everyone that had been hired in the last five months in the hopes of finding anyone that had slipped through the cracks and make sure that they could trust those that were around them. It quickly became apparent that while the security checks had not been done exactly to Eric's usual standards, for the most part they had been effective. Between a few checks, and some questioning, which Wayne had volunteered to do since Eric's stress levels were already pretty high, they were managing to dismiss most of the employees hired as being who they said they were, and fit for duty.

By the time they had dispensed with most of the office staff, which in general only took a few minutes, and about a third of the security operatives, it was already coming up to lunch time. Wayne came out of the interview room, into the hall, while Eric came from the observation room next door, which was located behind a two-way mirror. Eric sat on a desk, running his hands through his hair.

"Eric, we need to take a break." Wayne told him.

"What do you think this is?" Eric asked him as the guy with the sandwich cart came off the elevator.

"I mean a REAL break." Wayne stated. "We've been at this for hours, we're both exhausted."

"This son of a bitch threatened me and my family." Eric stated flatly. "I want him found, and when that happens, he better hope the cops get to him first."

"Listen, I understand this completely, if it was Mikey or Jamee I'd be in hysterics too." Wayne assured him. "But if we keep going like this, we're just going to miss something."

"I'm not missing a damn thing." Eric assured him. "Where's that sodding sandwich guy?"

"He's coming." Wayne told him, pulling him away a little further. He didn't want anyone to see how agitated Eric was getting, especially the people still waiting to be interviewed. A large part of their job was psychology, meaning that they both knew they had to be in a position of strength for any interrogation to work. If someone saw the state Eric was in, then it would be clear that he was beginning to get rattled by how close this threat was coming to those he cared about. "Look, why don't we just tell everyone to come back in an hour, have a hot meatball sub, and call everyone back once we've had a little rest?"

"Emma would kill me if she knew I was eating crap like this." Eric chuckled, getting a credit card out his wallet. "You are a seriously bad influence."

As they made their way toward the snack cart, they saw a guy, about 20 years old, with short, red hair hailing him over. He was one of the people waiting to be interviewed, and just like all the security staff; he was wearing a sharp suit. He got up, and pulled out a credit card.

"I thought you were sick today." The sandwich guy commented. "You're normally..."

"Yeah, they're doing some kind of security check." He replied.

"So where's Roy?" The sandwich guy asked. "I haven't seen him."

"I think it's something to do with him." The red-haired guy replied. "I haven't seen him either. I have heard rumours, but..."

Before he could say another word, Eric and Wayne were over like a shot. Eric grabbed the red-haired guy's wrist, taking his credit card, while Wayne took the PDQ handset from the sandwich cart guy.

"Hey what...?"

"In here, NOW!" Eric barked, shoving them both into the interview room. He and Wayne looked at each other, exchanging a wordless communication they'd developed through years of working together either in combat, or in the security business. Wayne approached them.

"You mentioned Roy." He began. "What do you know about him?"

"Well...we kind of hit it off when he got here." The red-haired security guy answered. "He seemed kind of cool, so we hung out. We worked out together, and we sometimes had some beers together."

"What about you?" Wayne asked the sandwich guy.

"Pretty much the same." He replied.

"So, how well exactly did either of you know him?" Eric asked coldly. "I'd suggest you think very carefully."

"I would too." Wayne warned them. "He's not as patient as I am."

"Well...he didn't say too much, he just kind of...wanted to hear what we had to say." The security guy admitted.

"Did he talk about any of our contracts in particular?" Wayne asked.

"Come to think of it, he did talk a lot about the Queen thing." The Security guy said, thinking about it. "I kind of tuned it out because...well...I was half loaded anyway, but he was going on about some environmental stuff and saying he didn't think we should take the Queen contract. I just told him we protect who we're paid to protect."

Wayne noticed Eric's fist clenching tightly, so tightly his knuckles turned white. He was close to the edge; this was a dangerous thing for him to admit.

"You didn't think that was something you should mention?" Wayne asked.

"We were both loaded!" The security guy reminded him. "Well, I thought we were. The next day I had the mother of all hangovers. Roy was fresh as a daisy though. I still don't know how he did it."

"So, you both knew him, but neither of you knew where he lived?" Wayne asked.

"No, we didn't." The sandwich guy added. "We just...hung out. Where he went after that, we don't know."

Eric was about to lose it, but his training took over as he was about to clench his other fist and he realised something was in it. Looking down, he saw the credit card he had taken. It was then that he had a thought.

"Did Roy ever buy anything from you?" Eric asked the sandwich cart guy. He just shrugged.

"Most days, he always had a tofu salad sub." He recalled. "He was the only reason I stocked the damn things. Otherwise I'd never shift them."

"How did he pay?" Eric asked him, holding up the credit card. "Did he ever use one of these?"

"A couple of times." He replied. Eric smiled, and turned to look at Wayne. He too was smiling. They both thought the same thing...BINGO!

"We'll need to borrow this." Wayne said, showing him the PDQ handset. "Hope you don't mind."

The sandwich guy just nodded, knowing it wasn't really a question he had the choice of refusing.

Spider was sitting in a cafe not far from the school. It was a small place, quite literally tiny. There were only about four tables, and it looked like if more than ten people were in there, people would be elbowing each other in the face as they ate. As Emma walked in, she saw the counter assistant tending to his injuries. He just cleared his throat and left, leaving Spider and Emma alone.

"Wally's is great." Spider told her. "He owns the lot; his grandfather bought it years ago, so they can't chuck him out. Still, it's one of the best places around."

"I just wanted to check..."

"Hey, I told you I'm fine." Spider assured her, holding up a cup. "One or two cups of Wally's herbal tea, and I'm right as rain."

Emma just came over, sitting down with him.

"So, you want to do a story on Queen's?" Emma asked. He just nodded.

"I figured that maybe they wouldn't take a couple of kids as seriously as a major network." Spider told her. "Then maybe you could take some telling snaps while I ask some armour-piercing questions."

I um...I guess." Emma replied, feeling slightly uncomfortable. Spider just shifted a little closer on the couch.

"You're not scared are you?" He asked. "I remember seeing what you were like when that badger thing wrecked the school."

"No, it's not that." Emma replied. "It's just...should we do this?"

"If not us, then who?" Spider asked her. "Ghandi, Mohammad Ali, Malcolm X...it is possible for a single person to change the world."

"I don't think I'm like any of those people." Emma said shyly. Spider reached across, touching her face softly with his hand.

"Neither did they." He told her. "I saw you that day, and you are one of the strongest, and bravest people I've ever known. You really don't know how amazing you are do you?"

He moved a little closer. Emma had to stop for a moment to take in what was happening. Spider was not an unattractive guy. He had a decent build, a nice face...injuries aside...his clothes were not what most considered attractive, but Emma herself admitted to never caring about concerning herself with being a style icon.

His hand strayed to her hair. Looking into his eyes, and into his smile, she found something that she hadn't ever seen before, someone was actually looking at her.

"I'm not that amazing." Emma told him.

"That's not what I see." Spider replied, drawing in closer. Emma's heart raced. It was something that had never happened before. For once, someone didn't want Gia, they wanted her. She thought briefly about Troy, but as she saw Spider before her, and felt how he held her, she finally resigned herself to the fact she had been living a delusion. She had been chasing Troy for months, she had opened up to him about stuff only Gia knew about, and yet he still didn't see her as anything more than a team mate. It was then that she resigned herself to the fact he probably never would. Spider though, he had never wanted Gia, he was only thinking of her.

"You didn't want me because I'm a photographer did you?" Emma asked. Spider just gave her a cheeky grin and shook his head, before closing in. Wrapping a hand behind her head, he pressed his lips to hers. Emma had never felt anything like this before, it was everything she wanted, to be desired, for someone to want her, only for her. She pulled her hand behind his head and returned the kiss.

Jordan wandered the woods near the waste plant. He didn't want to go too close, unless he brought out the other Mutants, but he had a theory. If it paid off, he would find what he was looking for. He found his nostrils flaring, and his senses assaulted, before spinning around.

"You shouldn't have come here Ranger." Mephit warned him.

"Why, because you can't fight without a risk of civilian casualties?" He asked.

"You underestimate me." She chuckled. "I can already sense where to find an abundance of fresh victims."

"Fight me here you bitch!" Jordan snarled as his armour burst forth, locking in place around him. Mephit blasted him in the face with a thick cloud of smoke which blocked his vision long enough for her to get away. By the time he switched to heat vision, he saw her form heading off in the direction of a large cluster of heat signatures. He ran off after her, hoping to catch up to her.

In an apartment in the middle of town, a guy with bleached blonde hair was sitting watching TV, sipping some coffee when he heard a knock on the door. He hit the mute button.

"I've already paid till the end of the week!" He called out. There was another knock, this time louder. "Alright, alright I'm coming!"

He answered the door in a vest and boxer shorts.

"WHAT?" He snapped. Just then, his face dropped as he saw Eric and Wayne in the doorway.

"Hello Roy." Wayne greeted him as Eric grabbed him by the vest, shoving him inside. Wayne closed and locked the door behind them as Eric threw him onto the floor.

"Scream and it'll be the last thing you ever do." Eric warned him as he pulled out his phone, showing him the pictures of Gia and Emma. "Now, forgetting about the fact you led me into a four-on-one ambush, why don't we talk about these?"

"I'm not saying anything!" Roy snapped.

"That's a really bad idea kid." Wayne warned him, standing by the door to watch for anyone coming. "If I were you, I'd tell him what he wants to know."


	37. Jordan's Plan

**A/N:** Sorry, meant to put this in the last chapter. The statement made by Jordan marked with an * was based on a quote by a famous sportsman. Bonus points to anyone who can name that person in their review.

Jordan ran through the woods, tailing Mephit as he went. He had flipped his visor to thermal imaging so he could track her through the thick foliage. As he got to the top of a cliff, he launched himself off it, landing in a roll on a street far below. He looked up to see Mephit standing in the street as citizens started to run in panic.

"So you finally caught up did you?" She taunted him. Jordan just stood up to full height, stretching out his shoulders.

"I guess it was too much to hope you'd fight somewhere there were no innocent casualties." He stated. Mephit just smiled.

"Would you fight in YOUR living room?" She asked him. She filled the street with her noxious gas, knowing that while it wouldn't affect Jordan, it would certainly make things more urgent since it would start to poison the citizens. The rest of the Rangers teleported in behind him one-by-one.

"Jordan, what's going on?" Troy asked. "Gosei contacted us to say you'd activated your armour."

"You notice the skink that's about to become a pelt?" He asked in response.

"You know what I mean." Troy snarled. "What were you thinking going after her alone?"

"I have a plan." Jordan assured him as the streets suddenly filled with Loogies. Bluefur charged towards them, swinging his mace.

"Well don't waste time explaining it and just do it!" Jake called out as they ran off to intercept the Loogies. Troy parried Bluefur's first strike, leaving Jordan alone staring down Mephit.

"So, what's this plan then?" She asked.

"You'll find out soon enough." He replied rushing towards her, tackling her through the glass front of a shopping mall, taking her inside.

Outside, Gia was struggling to keep Loogies away from a girl she found cowering behind a dumpster. She took down some of her attackers and reached out her hand.

"Come with me!" She told the girl. She reached out a hand, but as Gia touched her, she flickered, and disappeared in a haze.

"What the...?" Her words were cut off as a blast hit her in the ribs.

Jordan fought with Mephit in the shopping mall, sending her from pillar to post as she tried desperately to get a break to counter. He didn't give her a second to breathe, to regain her sense of direction knowing that one moment was all she needed to cause untold devastation. Eventually, as he rushed her while she was on her back, she managed to plant both feet in his stomach, and drive him away, before scrambling to her feet. She was breathing heavily from the assault, and she felt blood running down her face from her many injuries. She smiled through blood-stained teeth.

"So this was your plan? To beat me before I had a chance to poison people?" She asked him. She tensed up all her muscles, forcing out a huge cloud of gas, intending to instantly wipe out everyone unfortunate enough to be in the mall. She started to laugh as the air filled with the green fumes, but as she looked around, no one dropped. No one even appeared to choke. Eventually, they all flickered and disappeared.

"Actually, that was my plan." Jordan told her, pulling out his Robo Blade. He rushed forward as she raised her spear to block him. He sent her flying through the support beams, bringing down the entire mall on both their heads. He was smashed to the ground by falling rubble, before the light was completely shut out.

Outside, the rest of the Rangers were finishing up with the rest of the Loogies when the mall collapsed. They all watched in horror as it happened. Bluefur just laughed.

"Mephit was insane; you probably did me a favour getting rid of her." He said as he hefted his mace over his shoulder. "Still, she had her uses. Another time Rangers."

As he left, they rushed to the rubble, only to see it moving. Jordan stumbled out, clutching his head.

"Jordan, are you OK?" Emma asked.

"You have NO idea how loud those impacts are in here." He answered, tapping his helmet. "Does anyone have an aspirin?"

"An Aspirin?" Jake asked. "What about all those people you just buried?"

As he said that, the remaining citizens flickered and disappeared. They all looked around in confusion before Noah saw Tensou roll into view.

"It's amazing what a few holograms and heat generators can do." He stated. Noah looked to Jordan.

"Where are we?" He asked, suddenly realising he didn't recognise the streets. Being teleported, they hadn't had to follow any route that would indicate where they were. Jordan smiled.

"Welcome to Harwood Marine Corp barracks." He informed them. "These streets? They were built on site to simulate urban combat scenarios."

"So you used Tensou to create some fake life signs..."

"She did love her innocent casualties." Jordan interrupted Noah. He looked to Troy. "There are times to use a scalpel..."

"And there are times for the sledgehammer approach." Troy answered, realising what Jordan had done. Instead of trying to control the fight to limit casualties, he had taken it to a place where casualties weren't a factor. It was the first rule of the Art of War. Never fight an enemy on their terms, force them to fight on yours. Jordan had done that, tricking Mephit into going somewhere that he could fight without worrying about anyone being around.

"So...what about the soldiers?" Jake asked.

"They shut the base last year, budget cuts." Jordan explained. "My dad was the captain when they shut down, he retired when they did."

"Not bad Jordan, not bad." Gia complimented him, patting his shoulder. "Of course, maybe letting us in on the plan would have been an idea. It was only when we noticed you weren't in the canteen at lunch and asked Gosei where you were..."

"I made this mess, and I wanted to clean it up." He interrupted her as he saw some Zombats descending. "Speaking of which..."

"We'll..."

"I started this." Jordan interrupted Troy. "Let me finish it."

"We're here if you need us." Troy reminded him. Jordan pulled out the Robo Morpher

"Knight brothers!" He called out as he slammed in the card.

In another part of town, Roy was sitting in his apartment silently. Wayne was in a chair opposite him as Eric paced around. Both of them were well versed in the psychology of interrogation, having been trained for the possibility they might be captured and questioned when they served in the special forces together. Wayne's role was to keep an eye on Roy and ensure he didn't move, so that he felt isolated and helpless, while Eric moved around, demonstrating that he had all the freedom he wanted, he could do...anything.

"You don't mind do you?" Eric asked ironically as he picked up a bottle of bourbon, pouring himself a glass. "I know it's the middle of the day, but it's been a stressful few days."

He then saw a packet of cigarettes, and a lighter. He pulled out a cigarette and looked at it, before popping it in his mouth.

"It's been so stressful, I might even have one of these." He told him, lighting it up and taking a drag. He held it up, looking at it. "16 years, 51 weeks and 4 days. That's how long it's been since I last had one of these."

"Listen I..."

"Shh..." Wayne told him, gesturing to Roy to keep quiet while Eric talked.

"My wife, Eleanor hated me smoking. I quit the week Emma was born. I did it for them." He informed him. "You know they say that nicotine is harder to kick than heroin?"

"Mr Goodall..."

"In fact, statistics show that it's more likely someone will kick a heroin habit than stop smoking." Eric continued, turning a chair around so he could sit with the back between him and Roy, facing him as he stradled the chair, taking another puff. "My daughter doesn't even know I used to smoke. Can you imagine how much hell I'll get if she smells this on my breath?"

"Eric..."

"FRIENDS call me Eric!" He snapped. He rested his arms on the back of the chair and leaned on it, taking another draw on his cigarette. "Since I lost Eleanor, Gia and Emily have been my whole world."

"Mr Goodall..."

Eric kicked the bed, right between Roy's legs hard to make a point. Roy immediately fell silent.

"No names. You haven't earned that right." Eric said calmly. "You speak when I give you permission, and when you do, you call me sir, are we clear?"

Roy just nodded.

"Good, now I can start asking questions, and do remember one thing." Eric told him. "Someone threatened the lives of my family. I'll do anything it takes to keep them safe. The only reason you're still breathing is because I don't believe for one second you have the brains to do all this yourself."

Roy whimpered a little as tears rolled down his face. Wayne leaned forwards.

"Now, consider your answers very carefully." He warned him. "Why don't you tell us who suggested you do this?"

"He's...he's just some guy from the club." Roy whimpered.

"What club?" Eric asked in response.

"The Warriors of Gaia." Roy responded. Eric looked to Wayne.

"Environmental extremists." Wayne confirmed. "For the most part, they're professional noise makers, the kind of guys that kick off at protests for the hell of it, but there's been a few more serious incidents."

"So, one of you decided it was a great idea to start sending me threatening messages and pictures of my girls?" Eric asked. "Names."

"Nobody uses names." Roy told them. "None of them even know my name..."

"Frederick Rosewood." Eric stated, taking another puff of his cigarette. "You might have set up a convincing fake ID, but I'm guessing you didn't want to add credit card fraud to the list. Pretty dumb move using your card to buy your daily tofu baguette."

"Those credit card bills get sent right here." Wayne said with a smile. "Alright, so if you don't use names, how about you tell us exactly how many of you are involved, and what you did."

"It'll be simple enough to figure out from there." Eric assured him. "One of your guys was shot in the thigh and doctors are required by law to report gunshot injuries."

"Not to mention, one of your guys was about 6' 6" and has two fractured patellas courtesy of my boss here." Wayne told him. "There can't be too many knee injuries among guys that big in town."

"So...if there are no names, let's start with numbers." Eric continued. "And please, try not to lie. I may just get...annoyed."

Roy gulped deeply as he prepared to answer.

The Rangers got back to the school after Jordan was finished with Mephit. They'd all missed classes, but it was so close to exam time that students regularly cut classes, and most teachers didn't bother to try and keep track of who was there and who wasn't. Most of them were only doing revision for the exams anyway, so the kids that cut only missed out on helpful advice, meaning it was their loss in the eyes of their teachers.

The final bell rang, and Emma started to pack up her things. Noah came up to her in the hallway, bumping into her and causing her to drop her notes.

"Sorry, let me help you." He rushed out as he helped her. "Um...some day huh?"

"Yeah." She replied. "Jordan really came through."

"I guess he'll learn subtlety another day." Noah chuckled. "Still, it was pretty smart."

"I guess he's learning something." Emma commented. Just then, Spider arrived. Noah got to his feet, holding Emma's notes, and handed them to her.

"Sorry, was I interrupting?" He asked.

"Nothing important." Emma replied, looking to him with a bright grin. It had only been a couple of hours since their kiss at the coffee shop, but seeing him before her now, she couldn't help thinking about it. "So...are you driving?"

"Fossil fuels? What do you think I am?" He asked.

"A human being born after 1899?" Noah grumbled sarcastically. Spider just glared at him.

"Don't you have another animal to dissect?" He asked him, before turning to his locker and opening it up. Inside was a thick red book, with gold writing down the spine.

"They don't dissect animals here anymore." Noah corrected him as Spider slammed his locker shut.

"Whatever, are you coming Emma?" He asked. Emma went with him, Spider wrapping his arm around her as they left. Noah, just opened his locker, seething about what had happened. Science and Environmentalism weren't mutually exclusive.

As he opened his own locker, he paused as he saw a book in it that attracted his attention. It was a thick, red book, with gold writing down the spine. It was a Physics textbook, one that was college level. Noah, unsurprisingly, was far beyond the curriculum, and well into extra credit in his science classes. Looking down the path Spider had taken; he took the book from his own locker, and stuffed it into his bag. He didn't like the guy, that much was a given, but now that he was hanging around one of his best friends, he wanted to understand what he was up to.

Back at the apartment, Wayne and Eric left, closing the door behind them. Despite their intense grilling, they had left "Roy" unharmed.

"He's going to call his friends now, you realise that right?" Wayne asked.

"Of course, I want him to." Eric told him as they got to the car, flicking his cigarette away. "You don't have any mints do you? Emma really will kill me if she knows I've been smoking."

"You want him to warn them?" Wayne asked. Eric just nodded as he took the packet of mints, popping a couple into his mouth.

"Maybe now they'll realise who they're messing with." He answered. "Anyone who wants to come after me, that's an occupational hazard, but threatening the girls...? They're obviously not too fond of breathing."

With that, Eric and Wayne got into the car.

Troy went to the gym, finding Jordan there working hard. Despite his earlier battle, he was still there working out. He approached cautiously.

"You know...we are a team for a reason." Troy told him. Jordan just sighed.

"I get that, seriously." He told him. "It's just..."

"What?" Troy asked him.

"Any team's only as strong as its weakest link." Jordan told him. "So far that's me."

"Look..."

"I know it, and so do you." Jordan interrupted him. "I've screwed up a few times."

"We all have." Troy assured him.

"The point is, I've always wanted to be a Ranger. It's the thing I've dreamed about ever since I first saw them." Jordan told him. "Now that I've got it, I'm finding out it's harder than I thought."

"Jordan..."

"I can't guarantee I'll never fail again." Jordan cut him off. "But I can guarantee that if I do, it won't be for lack of trying. I'll work longer and harder than any of you if I have to, but I will be the Robo Knight you deserve."

Troy didn't say another word, just patting Jordan on the shoulder before leaving him to continue his workout.

Over at Queen Power and Energy, Spider and Emma arrived on their bikes. Spider was about to chain his to the fence, but Emma just gestured to him to follow her to the gate.

"Hey David." She said to the guard on duty. "What's happening?"

"It's been pretty lively, they're stepping up security." He told her. "Your dad's pretty stressed about this protest."

Emma hoped Spider hadn't heard that, a lot of the people at her protest groups didn't know her dad was organising the security for Queen.

"Um...any chance you could look after our bikes?" She asked. "We're here for an interview for the school paper."

"You know you don't need to ask, you come around the office often enough." David told her, taking the bikes from them.

"Keep your camera at the ready." Spider stated as he put his arm around her. Emma prepared it, looking around. "Snap over there."

"Those tanks?" She asked. "Why?"

"I believe in the blitz tactic, just take a ton of pictures and the odds of you getting the perfect one by accident improve." He replied. Emma just went with him, taking more photographs as he made his way to the office of the plant manager. "Oh, and remember to e-mail me all the pictures."

Emma just nodded, and continued to take photographs as she felt his arm around her, holding her closely.


	38. Gia's Birthday

Gia was stirred from her sleep by the sweet smell of freshly baked waffles. It was only Wednesday, but she smiled as she realised why this was happening. Mr Goodall...Eric...had remembered.

She couldn't think why she had let it cross her mind that he wouldn't, he and the Morans had been friends for longer than she'd been alive, he had quite literally known her for her entire life. Indeed, one of the many things that connected the Morans and the Goodalls was the fact that Emma was born only two days after Gia, meaning they had literally grown up together. As she headed for the shower, she heard Emma humming.

"Oh...sorry, I was...um..." Emma stammered as she pulled a towel around herself, stepping out of the shower.

"Someone seems happy." Gia commented.

"Who wouldn't be with waffles for breakfast?" Emma asked her. "It's about the only thing he can cook without burning us all to death."

"He's not that bad." Gia told her. Emma just laughed.

"Trust me, he really is." She answered. "So...I'll see you downstairs?"

"Yeah, sure." Gia replied, heading for the shower as Emma left the room. She couldn't help but smile. She had a feeling today would be a good day.

In the kitchen, Eric was busy making the waffles for breakfast. It was just one thing he could do for Gia on what he was sure would be a very difficult day for her. It was the first birthday she would celebrate at the Goodall house. In the last year, she had been forced out of the closet, and lost the life she thought she knew. Her father was still being held in remand, awaiting his trial date, and her mother...her mother she had barely seen since the whole sorry tale had begun.

As Emma got downstairs, she kissed him on the cheek.

"Waffles?" She asked him. He just chuckled.

"We both know the waffle iron is pretty muh the only thing I can use without burning the place down." He answered. He knew that Gia loved waffles, her own parents made them for her on her birthday each year, and he wanted at least one thing to be the same for her. "So, David told me you took a friend to the plant."

"Yeah, his name's..." Emma's words tailed off. Like pretty much everyone else, she only knew him as Spider. "He's a friend."

"David seemed to think he might be more than that." Eric said as he poured her a cup of coffee. "Well?"

"Dad, he's...a friend." She repeated. She hated when he got like this. He was more than a little paranoid when anyone got close to Emma. Indeed, Gia was the only one he'd never suspected of meaning her harm, and that was because he had personally watched them both growing up together. He just smiled.

"I could always..."

"Dad for the Love of GOD!" She yelled. "He's a friend! And even if there was more to it, don't you think one of the reasons I've never had a boyfriend is because you're the scary guy that does a full CIA background check on anyone that even looks at me?"

"OK, he's a friend." Eric replied. He had a lot of reasons to be so 'paranoid' as Emma put it. His business meant that there were many people that had pretty legitimate reasons to want to hurt him. Beyond that, he was always scared that Emma would run across someone that wanted to hurt her for their own reasons. His life had taught him one thing, some people just wanted to hurt others, even if there was no logical reason behind it. It was why he had started to teach Emma self-defence up until she told him that Gia was teaching her Tae Kwon-Do. He loved the fact his daughter believed the best in people, but he wanted her to be prepared for when they showed the worst of themselves. Eric had seen the worst in people in his time, and wanted Emma to be prepared to keep herself safe.

Gia came bounding down, and smiled as she saw them in the kitchen.

"Well, there she is, the Birthday girl herself." Eric welcomed her, gesturing to the table. "You should have waffles in about..."

Just then, the waffle iron started bleeping. He got up and made his way over to turn it out.

"I want you to come straight home after school today, I'm ordering in something special." He told them. He gulped as he prepared for the next part. "Gia...your mother's coming over."

"Oh, right." Gia replied, not entirely sure about this part. She had barely seen her mother since she'd been kicked out of the house. She had accepted that her mom hadn't been the one to make the decision to throw her out on the street when she came out, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt that when she needed her the most, her mother had failed her and not defied her father. "Um...what are we having?"

"It's Sicilian, from that place a couple of blocks over." He informed them.

"That sounds...nice." Gia replied. Eric knew that she wasn't overly keen on the idea, but he had been hoping that she would see her mother on her own volition before now. He put down a newspaper.

"Happy Birthday." He repeated as he laid down her waffle before her. Gia just smiled as she saw the paper.

"So what is it this time?" Emma asked her.

"February 14th 1929." She answered. It was something of a tradition between the Goodalls and the Morans. Gia knew she'd get her real present later, but she always got a newspaper on her birthday, one relating to one of her ancestors. Her surname was Moran, just like the infamous gangster Bugs Moran. He was related to her, albeit somewhat distantly. It didn't mean that it didn't appeal to Eric's sense of humour to give her a newspaper relating to his crimes each year. He had always told her it was important to remember the past.

"So...any special plans?" Emma asked her.

"Not really, it is still midweek." Gia said with a shrug. "Maybe I'll see The Great Gatsby at the weekend..."

"So...no special birthday plans?" Emma asked her. "Perhaps with a certain..."

"Will you let that go?" Gia groaned.

"I just thought, there would be worse ways to spend your birthday..."

"I am not with Cat!" Gia put down flatly. Emma just shrugged.

"Whatever you say." She answered as Eric gave her a waffle. She started to cut it up as Gia rolled her eyes.

"Sometimes you really suck do you know that?" Gia complained, returning to her breakfast.

A while later, Eric dropped the girls off at school. Gia and Emma walked in, finding Troy, Jake, Noah and Jordan waiting on them by Gia's locker. The Yellow Ranger just smiled as she saw them.

"Guys?" She asked.

"Happy birthday!" They all chorused. Jake pulled a gift out from behind his back. From its shape, it was clearly a teddy bear that had been wrapped at the last possible second. Gia accepted the gift with a massive grin.

"Thanks, I'll um..." Gia stammered. "I'll open it later."

"Don't you want to know what it is?" Jake asked. Gia just gave him a little look, taking one of the bears paws.

"I'm sure my curiosity can wait." She replied. Just then, Spider came around the corner. He looked among the group.

"Hey, what's up?" He asked. He looked to the gift in Gia's hands. "I thought..."

"My birthday's on Saturday." Emma informed him. "Gia and I were born the same week."

"Many happy returns." He told her. "You do know that bear was probably made in some sweat shop by some kid earning a nickel a day right?"

"It's the thought that counts." Jake said a little impatiently, taking the bear from her. He, like Noah, wasn't especially fond of the guy. One of the incidents that had distanced Spider from the rest of the students was when he once performed a one-man sit-in protest on the centre spot of the soccer pitch over the fact the school used leather soccer balls. He just smiled.

"I guess everyone thinks that." He answered. "Say Emma, great pictures!"

"Really?" She asked. "You used them?"

"Well...one of them for the article." He told her. "Maybe we could go somewhere and talk about them? I think it'd be great if you got some shots of the protest on Saturday"

"Actually we..."

"It's fine Noah." Emma replied, shying away. She looked to Troy to see his reaction, but he didn't seem to have one. He didn't seem to notice or care that she was about to leave with another guy. She looked back to Spider. "I think that'd make a great story."

As they left, Jake saw Noah watching them leave.

"What gives dude?" He asked.

"He's an asshole." Noah said bluntly.

"Well...that much is obvious, but seriously, what's the big deal?" Jake asked.

"Nothing I guess." Noah replied. "I just don't trust the guy."

"Emma's a big girl." Gia stated. "Between her dad and me, she's been taught a lot. I feel seriously sorry for anyone that wants to mess with her."

"That's our cue." Jake replied as the bell rang. "So, Home Ec first period! Got to love getting two breakfasts!"

"How exactly do you hoover down so much food and stay as skinny as a rake?" Jordan asked him. Jake just shrugged as the guys walked away.

"What can I say, genetics have been good to me." He replied. "You coming Gia?"

"I have study hall." She informed them. "I know how to cook...thank God, Eric' a sweetheart but he's definitely a menace in the kitchen."

As they left, Gia turned back to her locker, putting her present inside, and fetching out some books. As she closed it, she jumped with a start as Cat appeared before her, giving her a fright.

"God Cat, what the hell?" Gia complained as they both knelt down, picking up her books. "You scared the crap out of me."

"Sorry." She replied. "Um...this is your birthday right?"

"Yeah, it is." Gia answered, before furrowing her brows. "Wait...how did you know that?"

"The Flagship gives birthday alerts." She replied under her breath. "So...I have a gift for you."

"Really?" Gia asked with a smile. Cat reached into her bag, pulling out a box, wrapped in red paper. Gia smiled.

"Wait, you really got me something?" She asked. Cat just nodded.

"I hope you like it." Cat answered. Gia started to unwrap the gift, pulling open the box. Inside, there was a clay sculpture of a Megaforce Ranger. Gia inspected it with a huge grin on her face.

"This...this is amazing." She replied. "You made this?"

"Yeah, you like it?" Cat asked her. Gia just nodded.

"This is really great, thanks for this." She told her. "Everyone's trying really hard to make sure today doesn't suck."

"It's hard isn't it?" Cat asked her. "For me it was the first Christmas after I moved in with my brother."

Gia just nodded in agreement. While her friends were supportive, none of them really knew what she was going through. This was the first time she'd be celebrating a birthday since her dad had found out about her sexuality and she'd moved to the Goodall's place. A lot had happened to her in a short time, and the occasion just reminded her of what things had been like before.

"It is." Gia told her, holding up the sculpture. "Thanks again for this."

"It's the Yellow Ranger." Cat told her. "I know it's hard to tell them apart, but...the designs on their chests mark them apart. Yellow and Black have the same glyph, and Yellow has...well...boobs."

"I think that's probably why Noah didn't like the fact you made him the Yellow Ranger in your comics." Gia responded.

"I'm glad you liked the gift." Cat told her. "Happy Birthday kay?"

Gia couldn't help smiling as she put the sculpture in her locker. Perhaps her seventeenth birthday wouldn't be as bad as she had thought.


	39. A Birthday Lunch

The day progressed well for Gia. She had, in some ways, been dreading her birthday for some time, since this would be the first year that she wasn't going to spend her birthday with her own family, but her friends pulled out all the stops to make sure it was a great day.

As the bell rang for lunch, she found her friends, and a couple of others assembled outside. They were all grinning at her.

"Um...OK, what gives?" She asked them. Troy just smiled.

"Well, we figured that it kind of sucks your birthday fell on a school day, so...we figured we'd make the most of lunch." He told her. "We clubbed together, and we figured we'd do something a little special."

"OK?" Gia asked. "What's that meant to mean?"

"You know that place across the street?" He asked. "Well, we thought it might be nice to try it out?"

Gia looked across the street, and wasn't entirely convinced. It was a high-end restaurant, with prices to match. They'd walked past it on virtually a daily basis, and joked many times about how it would be to go in and try it.

"You're kidding right?" She asked. "Come on, we'll go to..."

"Gia, we go to the Brainfreeze all the time." Jake reminded her. "Even Ernie suggested it."

This was true, when he heard that it was her birthday, he had wanted to do something special. He had suggested the restaurant to Jake, knowing that it was unlikely they'd ever eaten there. He'd informed them that it belonged to a friend of his. He had even agreed to call ahead and arrange a discount to make the meal a little more in their price range.

"Come on Gia, they say you should try anything once." Cat said with a little grin. "I heard that place is so good, they normally take dinner reservations like six months in advance."

Gia just smiled in response, seeing Cat so excited. It seemed like they had invited her along as well. Spider was with them too, standing with Emma, his hand on her shoulder. Gia had to admit not really knowing him well enough to be either happy or unhappy about his presence; she just knew that he shared a lot of Emma's interests. They'd been spending a fair bit of time together in the run up to the protest, which would take place on Emma's birthday on Saturday. It wasn't her idea for how to spend a birthday, but if Emma was happy, she was alright to just go along with it.

"You should probably make the decision pretty quick." Noah suggested. "We do only have an hour."

"Alright, why not?" Gia replied. "When are we likely to do this again?"

"Alright, let's do this!" Jordan called out, leading the way excitedly as the others followed. They got in the door, and were immediately greeted by a guy in a fancy suit.

"You must be the Moran party." He surmised. It wouldn't have been hard to pick them out; the prices alone would turn away anyone their age. "Come this way please, we've set up a room for you."

"A private room." Noah remarked with a grin. "Ernie's obviously pulling out all the stops."

"More likely they don't want to ruin the atmosphere by having a bunch of kids sitting in the middle of their dining room." Spider commented. "Seriously, have you seen the way the diners here are dressed? That guy's outfit looks like it could feed a family for a year."

Noah just groaned hearing this. Everything was political to Spider. He knew that he was a friend of Emma's but it was like his mouth didn't have an off switch. No matter what, any time anyone said anything, he felt the irrepressible need to somehow link it to his own political and social views on the world. Noah imagined that he'd be a lot happier living in the woods with no technology whatsoever. He had to think that he'd be a lot happier if he did that too.

"Seriously, you can't just let one drop?" Noah asked. "It's a party dude."

"I guess, sorry folks." He replied, patting Emma on the shoulder. "I just need to use the john. Just...see if there's anything on the menu that's vegan and order for me will you?"

Noah just shook his head as they all got into the room and the maitre D started to gather their jackets. Gia just smiled, seeing the set-up.

"Alright, let's see here..." Troy began, checking the menu. "Kobe beef...that looks amazing. I've heard it's about the best there is."

"It ought to be at this price." Jake chuckled, before reaching into his bag. "So, are we going to do the gift thing now?"

"Wait...gifts?" Gia asked. "You mean...this isn't my gift?"

"Seriously, you didn't think we'd let your birthday go by and not give you a gift did you?" Emma asked her.

"I already gave you mine." Cat reminded her. Gia just smiled remembering.

"I can't believe all the trouble you're all going to." Gia answered.

"Hey, it's no trouble." Jake answered, taking her hand. He reached to the middle of the table for some mineral water. "So, who's going first?"

"I'll go first." Emma replied. She went into Spider's bag, looking around for something. Troy just looked on as she did this.

"Spider has it?" He asked. Emma just looked up at him, seeing the way he was looking at her.

"He had a great idea; it's kind of a joint thing." She informed him. She couldn't help being a little hesitant as Troy addressed her directly. He rarely spoke just to her; they were always around the others. She felt a little uneasy, but a part of her liked the attention from the Red Ranger. "Why?"

Troy just shrugged and turned his attention back to the menu. Emma couldn't help feeling a little disappointed at this. She just went back to her search, pulling a jar full of nails out of Spider's bag. Noah noticed this.

"OK, that's not strange at all." He commented, picking it up. Emma just took it off him as she found what she was looking for.

"He's making up banners for the protest." Emma told him, handing Gia a parcel. "Here, happy birthday."

As she turned her attention to the menu, she just sighed.

"Would you look at this menu?" She asked, getting up. "I'm going to have to find a waiter, I can't see anything vegan here."

Back at the Goodall place, Eric was spending the day at home getting the house ready. He had arranged for a special dinner at his place, and he wanted everything to be perfect. It wasn't only going to be a birthday treat for Gia, but something of a joint thing for Emma too, since he knew they'd all likely be out most of the day on Saturday at the protest. He had invited Gia's mother around for dinner, marking the first time she and Gia would be having dinner together since she'd come to the Goodall place. He wanted everything to be perfect.

His cell phone started to ring, and he checked it, seeing that the caller ID just indicated the number was withheld. He answered the phone.

"Did you think this was over?" An electronically distorted voice asked him. Eric just sighed.

"Seriously?" He asked. "You distort your voice and you expect me to be scared?"

"You haven't heeded my warnings." The voice replied. "Did you really think finding Roy would scare me?"

"Well, I'm not the one that hides behind masks, fake ID's and a voice scrambler." Eric taunted him, picking up a recorder and starting to record the call. "Of course, I have already sent a few of your friends packing. Somehow I doubt Roy will be too eager to help you in future."

"I don't need any of them." The voice snapped.

"I found him." Eric reminded him. "Stay away from my family, or I swear, I'll find you too. And next time you send men in masks after us, know that I won't care who's under the masks."

"That's so typical of someone like you. You blindly accept the blood money of people like Queen, and don't care what they do to get it." The voice chastised him. "If you don't pull your company out of the factory by the weekend, trust me, people will get hurt."

The phone hung up, and Eric just put his phone away. He knew that the threat was serious, but he couldn't pull out now. He couldn't allow anyone to bully and threaten his family. All he could do was continue to pursue his job, and keep a lookout. After all, the man threatening him had made one fatal error. He had told him where he was going to be. He knew that he would make his move at the protest. If he did, it Eric was determined to make sure it would be the biggest mistake he ever did.

Back at the restaurant, Emma was looking for a waiter, when she found Spider by a lobster tank. He was putting away his cell phone as she arrived.

"Can you believe anyone even still does this?" He asked her, gesturing to the lobster tank.

"I don't know many places that do." Emma replied. "You've been gone a while, I was looking for a waiter to ask about vegan options."

"Why am I not surprised they don't advertise vegan options?" Spider asked. "Come on, we have been gone a while. I'm sure the others are probably wondering where you are."

He put his arm around her, leading her back to the room. As they got there, a waiter was talking to Troy.

"Hey, Spider." He called across the table. Emma looked up, and couldn't help being aware that Spider still had his arm around her. "I just talked to the waiter. They don't normally do vegan, but he said he could have a word with the chef about fixing you up with a pasta..."

"Wow, that's good of him." Spider said a little sarcastically.

"You know, you don't have to be like that." Noah interjected a little bad-temperedly. Spider just sat down with a smirk on his face.

"Yeah, I guess you're right, this isn't about me." Spider stated, gesturing to Gia. "This is about the birthday girl. Pasta it is then."

"So, still or sparkling?" Jake asked, offering Spider some mineral water. Spider just shrugged.

"You choose." He answered, taking Emma's hand. "I'm just enjoying the company."


	40. Lunch Conversation

The meal arrived, and immediately faces lit up. It was certainly a far cry from the burger joints or cafes they normally ate at, and they were all absolutely certain that they would never have been able to afford the meal if Ernie wasn't calling in a favour from the owner.

"Two vegan pasta." The waiter began. Emma gestured the dishes over to her side of the table. It was something that wasn't actually on the menu, but since Spider was vegan, they had to ask for something he could eat to be made specially. She wasn't vegan herself, she wasn't even vegetarian, but since she was with Spider, who had been spending a lot of time with her recently, she felt a little self-conscious about ordering anything else.

"Seafood Linguine?" He continued.

"Over here!" Gia called out, gesturing to Cat, who was sitting next to her. "Oh...and the grilled salmon is here."

"Yay!" She called out, accepting her dish. Jake was practically on cloud nine as he saw the steak laid down in front of him. The others were equally delighted by their choices as they began. Spider reached for some bread.

"Oh my God, Ernie really got this right." Gia stated, beginning her meal. "This is absolutely incredible."

"It's certainly different." Troy admitted, beginning with his own meal. "It's pretty huge, but I'm not wasting one bite of this. It's not like we'll likely be back here."

"You should definitely try anything once." Noah agreed, buttering himself a dinner roll. "Seriously, I must've walked past this place like a million times over the years, and never even been in the front door."

"It's just a shame they don't have more of a range on the menu." Spider chipped in, taking a mouthful of his pasta. "I mean, I know a lot of places don't put much of a priority on vegetarian or vegan customers, but you'd think they'd have at least one option on the menu."

Noah rolled his eyes. Even now Spider wouldn't let up, but the others seemed to be just ignoring him. Emma didn't seem to notice his reaction, just nodding politely and continuing with her dish.

"Guys, this is absolutely amazing." Gia told them. "You've all been really great about all of this."

"Hey, anything for a friend." Jake assured her through a mouthful of steak. He cut a piece off and offered it around. "Does anyone want to try this? It's absolutely amazing!"

"Sure, I'll give it a go." Jordan replied, taking some from him. "I was seriously tempted by the Kobe beef; I had it once when dad was stationed in Japan."

Spider just shook his head as he heard this. He nudged Emma.

"Think they know how Kobe beef is raised?" He asked her.

Emma didn't say anything, just looking to him.

"I haven't seen any of the photos you asked me to take in the school paper." She stated.

"They're holding off on the latest issue until after the protest." He told her. "I really wanted those interviews I did to be printed, but they might not even use them now."

"Really?" Emma asked. "Why?"

"Most of the school's funding comes through donations for sports teams." He answered as he flicked a little look in Jake's direction. "Turns out one of the big donors are Queen."

"You think they asked the school to pull the story?" Emma asked. He just shrugged.

"I don't know whether they asked, or the school did it voluntarily." He said, taking a sip of mineral water. "After all, why would they want to annoy one of their more generous sponsors?"

"Why does everything have to be a conspiracy theory?" Noah asked, having overheard this. "Here's a thought, maybe they decided a full-scale protest attended by a senatorial candidate is a much bigger story. Or here's another thought, maybe they just thought the story sucked."

"Noah!" Emma interjected defensively, hearing Noah lose patience with Spider. The activist just chuckled.

"It's OK, I wouldn't expect anything less." He assured her.

"Guys, seriously?" Gia interrupted. "This is kind of killing the mood. The food's great, I'm having a good time, can't you just give it a rest?"

"I have to agree." Troy stated as he leaned forward. "It's Gia's birthday, just shelve the politics and enjoy the meal."

Noah just nodded, accepting the subtle reprimand. He had allowed Spider to get to him. Emma just looked between Troy and Spider as they continued to stare at each other, unsure where she should stand. Spider was...well...they hadn't really defined exactly what they were yet. Troy was her team leader, and her friend, but beyond that, he'd been the guy she'd been hopelessly crushing on since he first arrived. Spider on the other hand...they seemed to have so much more in common. He genuinely listened, and didn't just roll his eyes when she started talking about her crusades to save the world. If anything, he was more passionate about it all than she was. Eventually Spider just turned back to his meal.

"I guess I can leave it at the door for now." He replied, eating his meal.

In another part of town, Mrs Moran was in the mall, looking around the stores. The last couple of months had been easily the most difficult of her life. Since the truth about Gia had been revealed, things had turned very quickly for her. Since the whole sorry tale had started, she'd had a lot on her mind. At work, for a while, she had to just make a go of things, and pretend she didn't notice the whispers of her co-workers and so-called friends. It wasn't so much about her daughter, as it was about the other things that followed.

Louise had been a relatively young girl when she had met Gerald. They were quite literally high-school sweethearts, meeting in her junior year. He was on the school swim team, a handsome, athletic man in his day. He was the King of the year, the junior class president, the most popular man in his year, and simultaneously the object of desire for most of the girls, and the very face of envy for the guys. He was quite literally the man all the girls wanted, and every guy wanted to be. Louise couldn't believe her luck when he approached her casually in the hallway, and asked her to go with him to the cinema.

She could remember everything about the date. It was Tim Burton's Batman they had gone to see, the biggest grossing film of the year. He'd taken her in her dad's car which he had borrowed for the night. He was the first, and only man she had ever dated.

They'd gone to college together, and after a couple five years together, he'd proposed to her on the night of their graduation, a proposal she ultimately accepted without question. It wasn't long after that, once he got settled into his first job, that they found out they were expecting Gia.

It was a romantic story, that much she was sure, but there was a lot more to the whole thing than anyone really knew. Spending so long with Gerald, she was painfully aware of his failings, things that she had either pushed to the back of her mind, or otherwise had learned to accept about the man she loved so intensely. She'd known that he was a vain, slightly arrogant man, who greatly enjoyed the prestige offered to him by his natural gifts. He'd been somewhat dismissive to some, and an outright bully to others, even well into his adulthood, and his working practices as a supervisor in the factory. She'd never really given homosexuality much thought, but thinking back now, she could remember the number of times he used derogatory remarks and vile names usually used for homosexuals when he described things in a negative light.

What a lot of people didn't know was that his bullying wasn't just restricted to those outside his family. While he was never harmed her, or called her names or anything that one might consider outright bullying, he always was the dominant partner in the relationship. He always insisted he take care of her. He always made a lot of the big decisions, and was demonstrably put out any time that he wasn't getting his way. It was because it was so slight that over time, Louise had just found herself going along with it. In the end, it left her with very little ability to stand up to him, something that had now cost her dearly.

On the night Gerald came home from the job centre, having heard about Gia, he went completely ballistic. She had tried to calm him down, but by the time Gia came down, he had already packed up all her clothes and had them in the hall. He yelled at her for hours, threw things, called her every vile name he could think of, and in the end, he told her that she no longer had a home and was never to come back. Louise was heartbroken as Gia left the house, and pleaded with Gerald to change his mind, but he made his feelings clear. He just silenced her, and ignored her pleas. Her pain over losing her daughter to his prejudice was what had finally given her the push she needed to leave herself, and to give him notice that she planned to divorce him, but it was sadly too little too late. She hadn't sided with her daughter when she needed her, and it was a decision that broke her heart to this day.

When Gerald had kidnapped their daughter, and had subjected her to horrendous mistreatment in the hopes of "curing" her, in some insane hope that if he could bring Gia back, that Louise would take him back, she lost all remaining doubt that the man now awaiting trial for the crime was not the man she had married. He was a spiteful, hateful man that she wanted nothing to do with any further. She had refused every request he'd made for her to visit. Between the divorce proceedings and the trial, much of her time was taken up with lawyers and legal proceedings. Tonight though, she was putting all of that aside.

She was happy that Eric had invited her over. While she had called Gia a couple of times, and they were trying to make amends, she knew that she had so much to make up for that she couldn't expect Gia to accept her back right away. As much as it hurt, she had agreed to allow Gia to dictate the pace for their meetings. She was glad that she had a home with Eric, and that she seemed to be happy and safe with him and Emma. Before all of this, she and the Goodalls had been good friends, something else she hated Gerald for. He had risked her losing an important friendship because of his hate. She was determined to make things right, but it was on their terms. Still, she was overjoyed at the thought of spending an evening with her daughter.

As she got to the Brainfreeze, she saw Ernie just finishing up with the lunchtime crowd. She made her way to the counter.

"Ah, Mrs Moran, how are you today?" He asked her. Louise had a lot of time for Ernie. When Gia had ended up on the street, Ernie had taken her in without a second thought. It was something she would never be able to repay him for.

"I was looking for something for dessert." She told him. "I'm heading to a dinner party..."

"Would this be a special person's birthday by any chance?" He asked. Mrs Moran smiled. Gia was in here all the time, so he had obviously heard about it. She just nodded.

"I'm heading around to their place." She told him. "I thought Gia would like some ice-cream..."

"I have just the thing." He told her, heading to the freezer, and pulling out a large tub. Mrs Moran smiled.

"Caramel Swirl is her favourite!" She told him, grateful for the dish. "How...?"

"I run an ice-cream shop." He interrupted her. Mrs Moran just sighed, realising that her question was going to end up being redundant. He ran an ice-cream shop her daughter went to all the time; he'd have had to be pretty unobservant if he hadn't figured out her likes and dislikes.

"OK, how much..."

"Please, take it with my compliments." He told her as she reached into her pocket. "Consider it my birthday present to her."

"I can't do that..."

"You have had a difficult time." Ernie said sympathetically. "If this is something I can do to help, then I am grateful."

"Please, you've already done more than I can ever thank you for." She insisted. He took five dollars from her hand, considerably less, she was sure than the value of the ice-cream, but it was the principal that counted. She didn't want to take anything from him, since he had already given her so much.

"Have a good time with your daughter." He told her. "She is a very special young woman."

"She really is." Mrs Moran agreed. "Thank you."

As she left, she smiled. She couldn't wait to see her daughter. Although it was only a few hours until she was due at Eric's place, it was already an agonising wait for her. She pulled out her cell phone and dialled.

"Eric? Eric, its Louise." She greeted him. "Look, I know it's early, but would you mind if I came over?"

"You can't wait either?" He asked her. "Alright, I'll just put on some coffee."

"That would be lovely." She replied, hanging up.

Over at the school, after dinner, the Rangers and their friends all went their separate ways. Gia stopped with Cat in the hallway.

"Well, I'm heading to drama class." Cat told her. "I had a really great time."

"I did too." Gia told her.

"Your friends are really nice." Cat continued. "I'm really grateful they invited me."

"They're pretty amazing alright." Gia agreed. "I don't think I'd have made it through all this without them."

"Maybe...we can hang out more often?" Cat asked her. Gia just looked at her. "I'd kind of like to have friends like yours."

"They are pretty unique." Gia responded, patting her shoulder. "You are too."

"Yeah, I am." She giggled. Gia couldn't help laughing as she said this. It was a pretty unique response to a compliment to just acknowledge it so directly. She had to admit that at first, Cat had taken some getting used to, but she was starting to find a lot of things about her she really liked. She definitely wasn't like anyone she knew. One of the things she loved was how random she was; she never seemed to know what was going to come out of her mouth. "I'll see you around OK?"

"Kay kay." Gia replied, using one of Cat's token quirks. As she headed for study hall with Jake, he pulled in closer.

"Well, that looked pretty cozy." He commented. Gia just looked at him.

"What?" She answered, before rolling her eyes. "Not you too, Emma's practically got us heading up the aisle."

"So you're saying you don't like her?" He asked. Gia just hit him across the chest.

"She's a friend; I am allowed to have female friends." She said impatiently. Jake just grinned.

"Yeah, that's got me convinced." He replied. They saw Emma talking to Spider a little way off. "So...what do you think of him?"

"I don't think I'd see the appeal even if I was straight." She commented. "I mean, did you hear the way he was going on at lunch? He's invited to lunch and still he has to lecture everyone?"

"Yeah, that gets old pretty fast." He stated. They watched as Spider pulled her in, kissing her cheek; before Emma went to her next class, with a little skip in her step. "Still, I guess it's not against the law for people not to love the new boyfriend."

"I'm not even sure they are dating." Gia grumbled. "Still, as long as she's happy, I guess I can live with the guy."

"And if she isn't?" Jake asked.

"They'll never find his body." Gia said with a little laugh. As they walked past Spider, he turned from his locker and bumped into them. He dropped something on the floor, which Jake stopped to pick up.

"You should really look where you're going." Gia reprimanded him. Spider just shrugged.

"Sorry, this stuff is kind of heavy." He replied, clutching some bottles to his chest. Jake looked to the bag he had dropped.

"Fertiliser?" He asked.

"I'm doing some experiments with the soil samples for Mr Burley's class." He told them. "I'm trying to see if there are some natural things that can affect the pollutants."

"Why exactly do you need so much?" Gia asked him as Jake carefully put the bag over Spider's arm.

"Do you know many garden stores that sell small amounts of fertiliser?" He asked them. "Now, I'm running a little late."

As he left, Gia just watched him.

"I really don't like that guy." She admitted. "He might be Emma's friend, but I really don't like him."

"What can I say, he's a weirdo." Jake replied, leading her away. "I mean, did you hear him try and blame the SOCCER team for his story being pulled?"

As they headed for class, they just shared a laugh. Gia could ignore Emma's obnoxious new friend for now. Her friends had been amazing, lunch had been an incredible treat, and she still had dinner to look forward to. All in, her birthday was looking like a really good day.


	41. Dinner with Mrs Moran

As the school day finally came to an end, Emma made her way to her locker, and started to work the combination lock. She jumped with a start as Spider arrived behind her, touching her shoulder gently, and let out a small yelp. She had very sharp senses, something of a necessity in nature photography since most animals were naturally wary of humans and tended to do whatever they could to stay away. Tracking animals was hard enough, looking for subtle signs in the environment of recent movement, and listening for the smallest of tell-tale sounds. It was rate that anyone or anything would be able to sneak up on her, but she hadn't heard Spider at all.

Another thing that she had learned through her nature photography was to move very quietly. Most animals were so terrified of humans that they went straight into a fight or flight response as soon as they realised someone was there. In some instances, such as a regrettable incident involving a skunk, they lashed out. She, like many people involved in nature photography had received her fair share of bites, scratches, and...yes...even been sprayed by said skunk. In most instances, they would run. She was gifted at her art, and had managed to capture many great shots without panicking her intended subject. Spider though had managed to catch her completely by surprise.

"Wow, you gave me a heart attack!" She said, breathing rapidly. He just moved closer.

"Sorry, I didn't mean anything by it." He assured her, squeezing her shoulder gently with his hand. "I just wanted to see you before you went home."

"Really?" Emma asked. "You did?"

"Sure I did." He told her. Emma just smiled as she heard this. He was really serious about this, he didn't want anything, he hadn't come to her to ask for help with an assignment, or to ask her for something, he just wanted to talk to her. It was something that just never happened to her. While she'd always made out that she didn't care, and commonly cited feminist ideals about never defining herself by her relationships, she was still human. She still had the same desires other people did, something she'd been painfully aware of as she pined day after day for Troy, who was only dimly aware of her existence. She was still a human; she still wanted to feel like she was special to someone, that someone actually wanted to be with her over anyone else. He reached up, stroking her hair.

"You are, the most amazing person." He told her. He drew her in, kissing her softly, leaving her in a daze. He just smiled as he parted from her. "I'll see you Saturday."

"But...it's only Thursday." She reminded him. "We still have one more day before..."

"Yeah, it's mostly just revision. I think I can afford one day playing hookie." He replied. "There's a lot to get ready."

"You mean the banners." Emma stated. He just smiled and nodded.

"I'll see you there." He replied.

As he left, Gia arrived, and by the look on her face, Emma could see that she had obviously seen what had happened. She just gathered her bag, and headed for the door.

"Emma, did I just see...?"

"It's called a kiss Gia." Emma interrupted her sarcastically. "People do that."

"Yeah, but...him?" Gia asked.

"What about him?" Emma groaned. "Is it so unusual to think that someone actually likes me? That someone wants to be with me?"

"Look I just thought..." Gia started to say, trying to think of exactly what she wanted to say.

"You just thought what?" Emma asked her. "That for once someone actually noticed me when I'm standing next to you?"

"No, it's not that, it's just..." Gia started to explain nervously. Although she didn't really talk about guys much, she had grown up with Emma, and knew it was something she was always self-conscious about. She was just the kind of girl a lot of guys didn't really understand. She was a beautiful, caring, intelligent, and funny girl in her own right; all the things that made her fall in love with Emma that meant Gia had no doubt that any guy who had the brains to see that would be lucky to end up with her. "What about Troy?"

"What about him?" Emma asked.

"Well...I thought he was the one..."

"I know a lost cause when I see one." Emma sighed, shaking her head.

"So...Spider's a convenient consolation prize?" Gia asked. As Emma rounded on her, she realised her mistake. Thinking about it, what she said didn't exactly paint Emma in a good light. "Emma, I didn't mean..."

"You didn't mean that because I can't have the first guy I want, I just go with the first guy that pays me any attention?" Emma snapped at her as they arrived by the bike rack where they had chained up their BMXs. Gia just backed up.

"Look, that's not what I meant." She told her. "If this is real, then I'm happy for you, really. I just..."

"I know you guys aren't really big on Spider." Emma interrupted her, unlocking her BMX from the rack. "Look, you just don't get him like I do. He's into a lot of the same stuff I am. He knows where I'm coming from. The guys...you know I think they're all great, but even you know that they just don't...you don't understand."

"Yeah, I don't understand what it means to be an outcast." Gia replied. Emma just put a hand on her shoulder.

"Sorry, I should have thought." Emma said apologetically. "Look, I'm just not used to stuff like this happening for me. I guess I'm a little defensive."

"I guess I'm just letting the fact I'm not exactly digging Spider get in the way of the fact it is your choice." Gia replied. "If you're happy...I guess I can learn to be happy."

"I guess we should be getting home." Emma stated as Gia unlocked her bike. "We wouldn't want dinner to get cold."

"Yeah, because that happens so often with take-away." Gia answered with a laugh as they headed for home.

Meanwhile, Noah and Jake were heading into the lab. Jake was groaning loudly.

"Come on man, hurry up!" Jake complained. "Jordan's got that massive TV and the game starts..."

"The game's recorded on TiVo, it starts whenever you want it to." Noah reminded him. "Besides, this'll just take a second."

"Can't it wait until tomorrow?" Jake asked. Noah just looked at him.

"You know this would go a lot faster if you just stopped interrupting." He answered. "Or better yet, if you helped."

Jake just put down his bag and went with Noah to the fume cabinet. Noah had been running experiments on polluted soil samples from the plant, seeing if he could find something that would counteract the chemicals in the Earth. He had Tensou working on a similar project with the much greater means at the command centre, but he figured that even if it was doubtful he would find anything with the comparatively simple means at the school lab, there was no reason he couldn't get some extra credit in by trying.

He took out some test tubes he had labelled, and checked on them, making some notes on the changes in them.

"It doesn't look like there's anything too significant." Noah commented, picking up one of the tubes. "This looks interesting though. Maybe if I try..."

He went to the chemical cabinet, and picked up a bottle. He looked at it, a little confused.

"What?" Jake asked.

"Nothing, it's just..." He looked through another couple of bottles. "These are empty. Mr Burley only filled them yesterday."

"Well, you can ask him to get more from the store tomorrow." Jake groaned. "Can we please just go?"

"Fine, if Manchester City playing a game against the Gunships that was recorded weeks ago is SO important..."

"It's Manchester UNITED, and Arsenal's nickname is the GUNNERS!" Jake corrected him.

"Whatever." Noah grumbled, packing away his notebook. As they were about to leave, he heard a metallic clink, and looked down, seeing he had accidentally kicked a bent nail that was just lying on the floor. He picked it up.

"Dude, they call it a nail." Jake informed him.

"Yeah, but...what's it doing here?" Noah asked.

"Um...hello, the school's like a hundred years old, and by the looks of things they haven't replaced any of the furniture." Jake said sarcastically. While he was exaggerating about the age of the school, he was right that most of the furniture wasn't exactly new. "The maintenance guy probably just repaired one of the benches and didn't clear up after himself, now can we go PLEASE?"

"Fine." Noah sighed, picking up his bag and following Jake, who jumped excitedly.

"Whoo, awesome!" He called out "Old Trafford, here we come!"

Emma and Gia arrived at the house, pulling their bikes into the garage, and headed into the house. They found Louise sitting on the couch with Eric, laughing. There was coffee on the table, and it took a moment for them to realise the girls had arrived.

"Oh, hey is it that time already?" Eric asked, getting up. "We were just sharing some of the old stories."

"Happy Birthday sweetheart." Louise greeted her daughter, getting up from the couch and gesturing to her for a hug. Gia came over, hugging her mother, before sitting with her.

"So, I guess it's time for me to make that call." Eric interjected, leaving the girls with Louise. Louise just smiled, looking between them. For a moment, none of them said anything. It was still a little awkward, none of them really knew what they should be saying or doing right now. Finally, Louise just reached into a bag, pulling out an envelope.

"Oh, Gia I got you something." She told her. "It's...it's not much, but...Happy Birthday."

Before she could open it though, Eric came back, turning off his phone.

"Alright, that's dinner taken care of." He announced, sitting down. He noticed the slightly quiet scene between them all. He didn't expect the night to be just like the old days, but he had hoped it would be a little easier. He leaned forward, picking up his coffee cup. "You know, I can't help remembering the day you were born."

Louise just spluttered her coffee a little, but it was obvious that there was a little bit of a laugh.

"Dad!" Emma reprimanded him, seeing Gia blushing slightly. He just smiled.

"What? It's her Birthday; I can't think of a more appropriate topic of conversation can you?" He asked. "You were competitive even then. You were due after Emma, but you just couldn't wait and let her be first."

"That sounds about right." Emma said with a little smirk. She hadn't heard that little detail before. Gia just looked to her mother, who nodded.

"Indeed, you were in such a hurry, the whole delivery took only a couple of hours." She confirmed, thinking back to the day. "When I saw you for the first time, I just knew that you were the most amazing gift I'd ever receive."

Gia just smiled, hearing her mother talk so fondly about her. As much as she loved her new home with the Goodalls, she had to admit that she missed her mother. She reached for a bottle on the table, and started pouring herself some lemonade.

"So, how has your birthday been?" Louise asked.

"It's been great." Gia told her, pouring glasses for the others. "Emma and the others took me to this great restaurant across the street from the school."

"Really?" Louise asked, sounding impressed. She knew the place they meant. "Fancy!"

"It really was, the food was amazing!" Gia told them. "And I wasn't the only one that had a good time, was I Emma?"

"Oh?" Eric asked.

"Yeah, the restaurant was good." Emma answered, giving Gia a warning glare.

"Yeah, but I think Emma preferred the company." Gia teased her. "She brought her new boyfriend along."

"Really?" Eric replied, arching his eyebrow.

"Dad, can you please not do this?" She asked. "Besides, I wasn't the only one that spent all afternoon talking to one person. What about Cat?"

"Oh, and who's Cat?" Louise asked, sitting forward. Gia regretted bringing the subject up. As the conversation continued, Eric couldn't help smiling. The ice had been broken.

Elsewhere in the city, in an apartment, a man sat in a room, surrounded by photographs of his targets. He pulled out his cell phone and dialled, finding that Eric's phone had been turned off. He just smiled. Eric had been a formidable foe, but now he wasn't even answering his phone. He had clearly gotten to him. He had hurt a few of his friends along the way, and one or two of them had lost the way. "Roy" had even left town in a panic after Eric had interrogated him, but through it all, in the battle of wills, he was winning.

He tapped out a text message, knowing that Eric would have to turn on his phone eventually. He checked the message.

"Glad you're seeing sense. Two days, tick tock."

He hit send, and leaned back in his chair, taking a sip of his drink. It would soon be over.


	42. A Nightcap

Dinner was finished, and the plates had been stacked in the dishwasher, leaving the party free to head back through to the Living Room. The room was full of laughter, and Gia especially seemed elated as they spent the night together. Gia was in hysterics as Mr Goodall told one of his old stories. Mrs Moran checked her watch subtly. It was starting to get late, but she didn't want to leave while things were going so well. Eric noticed the gesture and checked his own watch. He didn't want Louise to be the bad guy when the night had gone so well.

"Well, it is a school day tomorrow, I'm afraid we're going to have to call it a night." He announced, putting down his glass. There were a couple of complaints from the girls, an encouraging sign, especially from Gia, who hadn't spent this long with her mother since she'd left home. "I know, I know, but it is a school night, and I have work tomorrow. Louise, I'm just going to call..."

He paused as he switched on his phone, and it bleeped, indicating he had a text message. He opened the message, seeing the ominous warning. Whoever had been threatening him was still maintaining their threat that if he didn't pull out of the security detail, that something was going to happen. Citing two days as the time frame, he knew that the intent was that he knew something was going to happen at the protest. He just dialled his phone for a local cab company.

"I'll just take you back to your hotel." He told her. Louise just looked at him a little curiously. "It'd make me feel better if I got you there."

"Dad's always been paranoid this close to big events." Emma commented, beginning to clear up the glasses. Gia wasn't entirely convinced that was all there was to the story though. She was in the house when he insisted she stay inside as his car was wrecked.

Louise gathered her things as he called the cab. Gia got to her feet, approaching her mother.

"Um...tonight was really nice." She replied. "Thanks for the present."

"It was a pleasure." Louise told her. "Maybe we can do something again soon?"

"I'd like that." Gia answered. Louise stalled for a second, before hugging Gia gently. It was too much to hope for that they'd get right back to the way things were. Indeed, a part of her already knew that they'd never have the relationship they once did. That had ended when she failed to stand up for Gia when she needed it. All she could hope for now was that she could slowly build a new relationship. Feeling Gia return the hug, she smiled. It wasn't much, but it was a great start, so much more than she could hope for.

"It was great seeing you Mrs Moran." Emma stated, hugging her too. Louise just smiled as she hugged her.

"Please, you're going to be eighteen in a couple of days." She reminded Emma. "Call me Louise. I won't be Mrs Moran much longer anyway."

She kind of regretted saying that as she caught a little look on Gia's face. Gia had grown up with the surname Moran. While what happened with her dad was a horrendous ordeal, the fact was that it was a part of her identity. She was a little conflicted on how she felt about it. While she didn't want anything to do with her dad now, the name Moran was a part of her. It carried some history with it. She could still remember the reaction the time a grade school teacher asked them all to look into their family tree and do a report on one of their ancestors, and Gia had come in, doing a whole presentation on a distant relative, the infamous gangster Bugs Moran. When the divorce did go through, she wasn't sure exactly what would happen, whether it would be her choice as to whether or not she kept her surname. Of course, she also wasn't sure she wanted to. As often as she had thought that abandoning it would be abandoning her father's hatred once and for all, she did still have reservations about abandoning part of her upbringing.

"It looks like your cab's here." Eric announced as a cab pulled up and honked its horn. "Girls, lock the door behind me and..."

"Turn on the alarm." They chorused in a groan.

"Just do it." He answered, forcing a smile. He hated leaving the girls alone, but he was confident in his security system. Between locks and alarms, his house was secure to a level that many politicians would be envious of, but the alarm also had a direct link to his own company. In the unlikely event that someone DID manage to get in, a team of men he had personally vetted and hired would be on the premises within minutes. All in, he knew as long as they didn't leave the house, he had little to worry about.

He pulled on a jacket, and went with Louise out to the cab. Gia closed over the door and punched in the alarm code, but turned around, still smiling. Emma was happy to see the look on her face.

"Well?" Emma asked.

"It started a little slow, but..." She started to say. She just slumped back against the door. "Who am I kidding, it was great."

"You have no idea how happy I am to hear that." Emma replied. "So...you really want to see her again soon?"

"Maybe after the exams." Gia replied. "It'll be summer soon enough."

"I'm just looking forward to the end of the exams." Emma replied.

"So, what do you want to do for your birthday?" Gia asked.

"Well, it is Saturday, and I kind of already have plans." Emma reminded her. "You know, the protest?"

"Well, fine, but that's not going to take all day is it?" Gia asked her. "I'd love to do something special for you. It's the least I can do after all of you did so much for me."

"I'll think about it." Emma replied. "But if Queen are more open about what they do with their waste, that'll be a huge present in and of itself."

In another part of town, Noah was sitting on the couch in Jordan's place, completely bored out of his skull as the guys watched a soccer game on the big screen TV. Jordan was a military brat, his dad worked at the nearby National Guard station. Jordan had told them that the house belonged to the military, and was part of his employment perks. His dad often worked at the base for long hours, often leaving before Jordan woke up, and arriving home long after he went to bed, meaning that the house was something of an exercise in over-compensation. There was a fully-equipped gym in the basement, his room was a shrine to DC and Marvel comics, containing editions even Noah and Jake had never seen, and there was just about every conceivable form of gadget, games console, and home entertainment system any teenager could ever want. Jordan was often left to his own devices at home. Now that he had some friends to invite round though, some of the stuff in the house seemed a little more fun.

Unfortunately for Noah, this wasn't one of those times. He never did get soccer. He put up with it because it was so important to Jake, but he didn't really get the point. He never understood what the real appeal was behind it. So him, it was just 22 men chasing a ball around for a couple of hours, something that seemed like it should be more amusing to family pets.

"Oh man, did you see that?" Jake called out as he and Jordan leapt forward in their seats. "Man, that guy's a legend!"

Noah just rolled his eyes. He really didn't care about the game. Looking at Troy, who was sitting politely quiet in the corner, he had a feeling he was of similar mind on the subject. Troy was kind of a closed book all things considered. If he was asked to tell someone ten things he knew about Troy, Noah had a feeling he'd fall short by about six or seven. He had this thing about him where he just didn't talk about himself much. He was more than happy to let everyone else talk about themselves, but he rarely told them anything. With the exception of the fact he moved around a lot as a kid, and he was heavily into Martial Arts because he had been bullied as a kid, Noah didn't really know anything about Troy that he hadn't seen himself over the couple of months he'd known him.

He eventually had enough as the whistle blew for half time. The commentators had seemed to talk for half an hour before the game, and then while the half was meant to be 45 minutes, they added 'injury time' to the play, which seemed completely arbitrary to Noah as to its length.

"I feel like a slushie." He declared. "Jordan...?"

"There's a shop down the street that sells them." He informed him. "Turn right, it's about ten minutes down on the left."

"I'll have strawberry." Jake called over.

"Blueberry." Jordan added. "Oh, and some nachos and dip would be great!"

"I'll go with you." Troy added as he got up and went with him.

As they cab rolled into the motel parking lot, Eric and Louise got out, and Eric instructed him to wait a second. He took her to the door.

"This seems...cozy." He stated. She just shook her head.

"It's a shit hole. It's just all I can afford." She told him bluntly. "Listen, I appreciate the escort..."

"I just didn't want to send you home alone." He answered. Louise just looked at him.

"Please, I think we both know it's more than that." She replied. "I notice you didn't have a car..."

"It's in the shop." He told her.

"Eric, we've known each other too long for you to pull that with me." She reprimanded him. "I saw how you reacted to that text. The damage was deliberate wasn't it?"

"The girls are safe with me." Eric assured her. "That's all that matters."

"Believe me, I know that." She said with a smile. "I really am grateful for everything you're doing for her. Thank you."

"It's a pleasure." He assured her. "Gia's always been like one of my own."

"Um...listen, do you have to get back right away?" Louise asked him.

"I probably should..."

"It's just...Tonight was great, but I'm pretty worn out. I could really do with a nightcap." She told him. "I could have a couple of glasses of red brought to the room."

He just nodded in response, paying the cab driver and gesturing to him that he could go.

"You know what? I think I could use that too." He replied, going with her. Neither of them noticed a man in a car across the street, taking some pictures with a digital camera as they headed inside.

In another part of town, Troy and Noah were heading for the store in silence. Noah just stared at the ground, concentrating on the tarmac, when he was startled as Troy finally spoke.

"This must be the place." Troy told him. As he looked up, Noah saw a 7-11 ahead of them. As they approached, he noticed the door opening. He couldn't believe what he was seeing as Spider left the store, struggling with a couple of bags. Today was already bad enough without him being here. Troy noticed him too, and just sighed.

"Are you coming?" Troy asked. Noah just shook his head as he leaned against a lamp post.

"I'm good." He answered. Troy just shrugged and went ahead to get the snacks. Noah stood with his arms crossed, stewing over everything. The last couple of days, he just couldn't get a break. He was beginning to wonder if there was anything going his way.

Just then, he saw something odd. Spider went into a side alley, and looking around, he pulled some things out of his bags. Noah moved around to where there was better light to see, using the camera function on his phone to see better. He watched as he pulled a large jar of pickled onions out of the bag, and poured the contents into a dumpster.

He started to make his way closer as Spider did the same with another few jars, before opening up some boxes, discarding them in the same dumpster. He watched for a moment longer, before Spider left down the alley. He went over to the dumpster and opened it.

Inside, he found pickled onions and gherkins plastering the top of the pile of garbage, but another thing was there as well. There were about half a dozen boxes for cell phones, which were lying on top. He backed away, a little confused.

"Why would anyone buy so many pickles only to dump them?" He asked himself. He picked up one of the cell phone boxes, and checked it out, finding it to be a pay-as-you-go or "burn" phone. He had bought about half a dozen of them.

He pondered this thought for a moment, trying to imagine what Spider could be up to. He seemed shifty, Noah hadn't liked him from the moment he met him. He'd always felt like there was something about him that smelled like trouble. Just the thought of him made him on-edge. He couldn't understand why Emma would want anything to do with him; everyone could see he was a dirtbag. None of the others liked him, and he had made it abundantly clear he didn't respect any of them.

As he was walking away, heading for the front of the store, he paused for a second as a few things occurred to him. Between what Jake had told him and what he had seen, he started to think about a few things, trying to figure out what they all went. Suddenly, a thought occurred to him. His mouth hung open as he looked down to the cell phone box.

"He didn't want the pickles, he wanted the jars!" Noah gasped, his heart racing. He hoped, he prayed he was wrong, but he couldn't help the fear overtaking him that he now understood what Spider was doing. He broke into a sprint, running off into the night, forgetting completely about the evening of soccer waiting back at Jordan's place. Troy was just getting out of the store and saw Noah running off.

"Noah, where are you going?" Troy asked him. "Noah!"

The Blue Ranger was already too far away to hear though, but even if he wasn't he would have ignored him. There were more important things for him to worry about.


	43. Noah's Search

The following morning, Jake went to school alone. It was unusual for him, normally he stopped by Noah's place and they'd walk together, but when he got there, Noah's mom told him he'd already left. It was early, even for Noah "Mr Extra Credit" Carver. He hadn't returned to Jordan's place after going to get snacks, and Troy had told him he had run off without any form of explanation. Noah hated soccer, a fact he was very vocal about, but Jake still had to wonder why he'd run off in such a hurry.

He went into the school, and found Noah almost instantly. In school, if he wasn't in the library, he was in Mr Burley's lab if he wasn't in class or eating. Jake came over and dumped his bag on the floor near Noah's upsetting it. The Blue Ranger immediately snapped his hand down, catching his bag.

"Will you be careful? I have chemicals in there!" Noah reprimanded him.

"Really?" Jake asked. "Where from?"

"Since Mr Burley was out yesterday, I brought some stuff from my lab." Noah informed him, turning back to his experiment. Jake just laughed.

"You mean your parent's garage?" He asked sarcastically. Noah just looked at him with an expression that indicated he was serious.

"You don't know how dangerous the contents of the average garage can be." He told him. "I was just thinking about Spider..."

"Dude, seriously will you give it a rest?" Jake groaned. "Sure, the guy's an asshole, and he criticises everything someone says or does about...well...anything really, but he's just..."

"He's up to something, and I think I know what." Noah told him. "I just hope for Emma's sake I'm wrong."

"Dude, the guy might be a self righteous dick, but that doesn't mean he's doing anything suspicious." Jake told him. "So what if he's playing with fertiliser? He wants to go hugging trees, let him!"

"What did you say?" Noah asked, hearing something in what Jake had said.

"What, about him hugging...?"

"No, you said he was playing..."

"With fertiliser." Jake answered. "Gia and I found him in the hall with a huge bag of the stuff yesterday after lunch."

Noah immediately ran out of the lab. Jake just shook his head as he sat down.

"I wonder how long it'll take him to remember we have physics first period." He said to himself with a little laugh.

Noah meanwhile was running around the halls in a frantic search. He didn't know for a fact, and his scientifically minded brain always told him to look for confirmation, but now he was about ninety percent sure he knew why Spiders actions were bugging him so much. He looked around for Spider, but couldn't find him. Eventually, he saw Gia and Emma walking in, talking and laughing about something. He ran up to them.

"He, Noah..."

"Where's Spider?" Noah blurted out, barging Gia aside and looking to Emma.

"Well, hi to you too." Gia said sarcastically.

"Seriously Emma, where is he?" Noah repeated, ignoring Gia.

"I don't know, it's not like we're joined at the hip." Emma responded.

"I'm serious Emma!" He said sternly. Emma just looked at him clearly annoyed by his tone. It wasn't as though he made it a secret he didn't like Spider.

"If you must know, he said he's skipping today." Emma said bluntly. "He said he's preparing for the protest tomorrow."

Noah's face slipped. He looked again to Emma.

"You can't go!" He told her. "You have to stay away from him, he's up to something!"

"Look, I don't like him either." Gia replied, putting a hand on his shoulder. Emma just glared at her. "Oh grow up, it's not like I'll always like the guys you go out with, but seriously, he isn't to our taste..."

"He's dangerous Emma, I'm telling you." Noah interrupted her. "Just...stay away from him."

Emma just rolled her eyes and brushed him off, heading off down the hall towards her first class. As the bell rang, Noah had a decision to make, follow up on his hunch and blow his perfect attendance record, or go to class and ignore what he had found out. In the end, his decision was made for him as Mr Burley bumped into him.

"Oh, Noah, would you mind helping me with these?" He asked, struggling with a couple of crates of chemicals. "I noticed my cabinet was a little low, and needed to re-stock."

"Sure." Noah sighed, taking one of the crates from Mr Burley before he hurt himself. He just followed the teacher, knowing there was now no way he could say he had been sick and hadn't turned up.

In another part of town, Eric arrived at the plant, paying his cab driver, and heading inside. He went in, finding one of his younger employees Kyle waiting for him.

Kyle, while young, was one of the employees he no longer doubted. He had been hired during a time when he wasn't responsible for the security vetting, but he had interviewed him personally in the wake of the "Roy Harper" incident. If he was honest, he would say that while he would probably not have hired him, preferring to wait a few years until he had experience elsewhere, Kyle's resume was already impressive. He had left school at seventeen, but in that time had been involved in security, and had undergone a number of courses with another firm. On paper at least, Kyle had credentials some of the guys twice his age didn't. He was standing next to a black BMW, which Eric recognised as his.

"It arrived this morning." Kyle said with a smile. "I had it fully washed and waxed for you..."

"It'll beat the hell out of relying on crazy cab drivers." Eric responded. "Has it...?"

"I did a full sweep myself, there's nothing there that shouldn't be." Kyle assured him. Eric just took the keys from him.

"I'll check it myself just to be sure." He replied. "Go and help the guys at the gate."

Kyle just nodded and left, at which Wayne arrived, finding him on his knees, checking under the car.

"Paranoid much?" He asked.

"It's one of the reasons I'm still alive and healthy." Eric said as he satisfied himself that the underside of the car was clear of sabotage or anything that shouldn't be there. He reached in and popped the hood and the trunk. "Now, you can be sarcastic, or help me."

"The perimeter's been completely swept three times since you last asked, once only an hour ago." Wayne told him. "Poor old Duke's never been so overworked."

Eric just smirked as he heard this, checking the engine for anything suspicious. Duke was Wayne's dog, a trained sniffer dog that was just one of many the firm had trained to sniff out explosives.

"Well, give him a rib eye steak on me." Eric told him as he closed the hood.

"Don't let this guy get to you." Wayne told him. "We've got this covered."

Eric just nodded his head, turning on his car alarm, before following Wayne in the direction of the office. "Right, so anything I need to know?"

Back at the school, the bell rang and all the students stormed out of their class for lunch. Noah looked around for Emma frantically. While they had most of the same classes together, before lunch on Friday, he had Physical Education, a requirement of his schedule, while Emma was in Spanish. After he got changed, he knew she must have had a head start. He ran into Gia.

"Gia, where's Emma?" He asked.

"She left." Gia told him with a shrug. "She hates it when her dad eats from the burger vans at the plant, so she's taking him something for lunch."

"She left?" Noah asked her. Gia just looked at him.

"Are you still on this?" She asked. "I'm sure you can apologise when she gets back."

"I'm not apologising for trying to stop her getting hurt." Noah told her bluntly. "Jake said you saw Spider with fertiliser."

"Yeah, we did." Gia said with another shrug. "He said it was for an experiment."

"Well, when I got to the lab after him, all the Sodium Chlorate was missing." Noah told her. Gia just sighed.

"So, he must have used it." She replied. Noah just nodded.

"That's what I'm afraid of." He replied, running out of the building. Troy arrived with Jake, finding Gia looking more than a little confused.

"What was that about?" Jake asked.

"Who the hell knows, he's your friend." Gia replied, throwing up her hands. "I'm damned if I know what's going through his head, he's still going on about Spider."

"He's been acting strangely since last night." Troy confirmed. "He ran off like his life depended on it."

"What was bugging him?" Jake asked.

"He wanted to talk to Emma." Gia told him. "He just kept going on about fertiliser and some chemicals Mr Burley didn't have, Sodium Chloride or...something."

"Yeah, he was whinging about not being able to do some of his experiments with the soil samples yesterday." Jake replied. "Anyway, off to lunch! It's brisket day!"

"Maybe for those of us that are kosher." Troy complained. "For the rest of us it's what they call lasagne."

"What can I say; sometimes it pays to be Jewish." Jake replied cheerfully.

Meanwhile, Emma arrived at the gate to the plant, finding Spider sitting on a rock, casually drinking water a little way from security. She smiled as she approached him.

"I didn't expect to see you today." She stated. "I thought you were preparing for tomorrow."

"Who says I'm not?" He asked her. "I thought you'd be at school."

She took a Tupperware out of her bag, showing it to Spider.

"I bring dad his lunch most days." She told him. "I don't want to think about what he'd eat if I didn't."

As she made her way to the security gate, Kyle approached her. He saw Emma, and smiled a little.

"Sorry, but I'm going to need to see some ID." He told her. She just glared at him.

"Seriously?" Emma asked sarcastically.

"There are some serious security concerns because of the protest." He told her with a little smirk. "I'm going to have to ask you what your business is here."

"I'm just delivering something to Mr Goodall." She told him, showing him the Tupperware dish. "Is that alright?"

"Well, there could be anything in there." He told her in a slightly playful tone as he stepped closer. Emma just looked a little blankly at him.

"My name's Emma." She informed him. "Usually the guy at the gate holds my bike..."

"I'm sorry, but..."

"Emma, good to see you." Another of the security crew said as he arrived back from his lunch break, taking the bike from her. "I think I saw him in the fourth floor security room."

"Thanks." She said, giving Kyle a little look. Spider went with her, patting Kyle on the cheek as he went.

"Nice work rent-a-cop." He said as he walked past. Kyle felt the bike being pressed into his hands.

"Let it go kid." The other guard stated.

"He..."

"I meant her." The guard replied. "I saw the way you were looking at her."

"In case you hadn't noticed, she is pretty hot." Kyle replied. The guard just pulled a little closer.

"You don't know who she is do you?" He asked. Kyle just shook his head.

"Should I?" Kyle asked. The guard just laughed, sitting in the guard station and crossing his feet.

"You can go on break if you like." He answered. Kyle just left, wondering what the joke was.

The other Rangers arrived in the canteen, finding Jordan already there eating. He gestured them over, indicating he had reserved them seats.

"Well, it's a far cry from yesterday." Troy said as he put his tray down. "Maybe going there was a mistake. Coming back to reality is a huge let down."

"It's not so bad." Jordan replied with a shrug. "I used to eat on barracks growing up. Trust me, if you can eat military rations, you can eat anything."

Jake was the only one with a smile on his face as he sat down. True to form, because he had to be provided with a kosher meal, he was not eating the same slop the others had to endure as school meals. Jordan looked up from his meal. "Where are Emma and Noah?"

"Emma's taking lunch to her dad." Gia explained. "Noah's probably off sulking somewhere."

"Still?" Jordan asked. "I know they fought, but I thought that'd have blown over by now."

"He won't give the Spider thing a rest." Jake chipped in. "I don't think any of us like the guy, but he just won't let it go."

"Why?" Jordan asked. "I mean, the guy's an ass, but seriously, what gives?"

"Oh, who knows, it's all in Noah's head." Gia told him. "God only knows what his problem is."

"We might not like it, but if Emma trusts him, then we have to accept that." Troy sighed, shaking his head. "All we can do is hope that Noah comes around before this affects the team."

"What team?" Cat asked innocently as she arrived. The other Rangers just looked around each other, trying to think of an excuse.

"We have a...a...ping pong team!" Gia stammered out an excuse as Cat sat beside her. Cat just beamed broadly.

"Really, I didn't know there was a school ping pong team!" She said cheerfully.

"Well...there isn't." Gia told her. "We don't have enough members to make an official club. You need...um...seven at least or the school won't..."

"I'll join!" Cat said excitedly. Gia just forced a smile. "That'll make seven right?"

"Yeah, it will." Gia answered. As they went back to eating, Troy just sighed.

"Great, now I have to learn to play ping pong." He muttered under his breath. "I wonder if Lauren ever had these problems."

Back at the plant, Kyle arrived in the canteen, carrying a container from one of the burger vans and sat at a table with some of the others. He was significantly younger than most of them at 20 years old, something that the others took as a carte blanche to tease him as the baby of the group. He was still very much in the hazing phase of his career.

"Say, you look happy about something." One of the others stated as he sat down. Kyle opened the container with his lunch.

"A half pounder with cheese, bacon and fries, what's not to love?" He replied.

"How can anyone pulling gate duty be that happy?" One of the others asked. It was easily the most boring of all the tasks assigned. It basically consisted of sitting around, taking the ID's of anyone coming to the plant, but other than that, it was a case of sitting around doing nothing...for hours on end! It sounded good on paper until someone actually had to do it.

"It depends on who comes to the gate." Kyle said with a smirk as he chewed his burger, forcing down a mouthful. "I just saw the hottest delivery girl you've ever seen!"

"Really?" One of them asked.

"Yeah, you wouldn't believe it if you saw her, great skin, great hair, and her body...let's just say out of ten, she's easily a fifteen." He told them to a few approving jeers. "I started to put on the moves, but Eddie cut in and ruined it."

"So, you were giving her the routine?" One of them asked him. "Were you going to frisk her?"

"I was tempted." Kyle said; just to be one of the guys. "I'm telling you, she had the hottest pair of tight pink jean shorts that made her ass look..."

His words tailed off as he saw the others looking a little worried. The room was unusually silent, until the sound of a chair scraping against the floor split the air like a hammer hitting an anvil. Eric got up and headed towards Kyle, presenting his car keys to him.

"Kyle, do me a favour would you, go and get the car valeted." He told him. "Take your time, there's no hurry back."

As Eric left, Wayne stopped behind Kyle and put a hand on his shoulder.

"What was that about?" Kyle asked.

"The girl you're describing, she's 16, and her name is Emma. Emma Goodall?" Wayne informed him. Kyle felt ill as he was finally able to connect the dots.

"Oh shit." Kyle muttered, realising that Eric had to have heard every word.

"If I were you, I'd be looking forward to smiling as you do every shit job no one wants for the next few months." Wayne told him. "Also, if you want to leave this job with the same number of body parts you arrived with, I'd be careful what you say when the boss is around."

Kyle just nodded as Wayne patted him on the shoulder, before putting his head in his hands. The others waited a safe amount of time to make sure Eric really was gone before laughing at Kyle's expense.

"I am so screwed." He sighed.


	44. The Threats Unmasked

Saturday morning at the Goodall place was unusually busy. The protest being held that day meant that Emma and her dad were fully expecting to have a very long day. Eric was just pulling on his shoulder harness when he heard the phone ring.

"Hello?" He asked.

"I notice Cerberus is still at the plant." An electronically distorted voice declared. Eric trapped the phone between his ear and his left shoulder as he punched the code into his gun safe.

"Yes, we are." Eric answered as he opened the door, pulling out his glock. He pulled back the slide, making sure there wasn't a round in the chamber, before picking up a clip, slapping it in. He put on the safety switch, and put it into the harness.

"You obviously don't care very much about your daughter or her friend." The voice declared. "You were warned what would happen..."

"I get about fifteen death threats a month, if you think I'm going to take the word of some gutless piece of crap who can't even pluck up the guts to show his face seriously then you obviously don't know too much about me." Eric answered, pulling on his suit jacket, straightening it out. "I didn't get to where I am in this business by running scared from cowards like you."

"It sounds like you've made up your mind then." The voice replied. "Then I guess there's only one question."

"And what's that?" Eric asked him.

"How much are you willing to lose?" The voice replied, before the phone hung up. Eric was on the verge of losing it when Emma came down the stairs. She was wearing a pink t-shirt, with the slogan "Where does it all go?" Across it, and a picture of barrels of waste on the chest. Eric had seen a few of them around town; several groups were making them for the protest.

"I'm heading out." Emma told him. Eric just looked to her.

"Emma, please..." He started to say, before tailing off. He knew he could never convince her not to go to the protest. "Stay safe alright?"

"Dad, your firm is covering the protest." She reminded him. "They all know me."

"Yeah, just...have a good time alright?" He asked her. Emma just hugged him, before heading out to the garage to her BMX. Gia came down the stairs, pulling on her jacket.

"So, how about you, are you going?" He asked. She just scoffed at the notion.

"It's not exactly my scene. I'm more of a petition signer." She assured him. "I'm off to Ernie's. He said he's expecting a busy one, so I said I'd be there and help out if he needed it."

"Would you like a lift?" He asked her. Gia just shook her head.

"It's a nice day out, I'll walk." She replied. "Thanks for the offer though."

As she left, Eric slipped a couple of spare magazines into his harness, before buttoning up his jacket. He had been threatened before, he wasn't exaggerating about that much, but these threats were a lot closer to home than he was used to. He had been personally attacked twice, and other threats indicated that this guy could get close to the girls. He picked up his keys, and headed for the car. He had one advantage; the guy had told him he'd be at the protest. Best case scenario, he chickened out and didn't do anything. Worst case, he would end things on his terms.

Troy and Jordan were heading out to the park, hoping to get some training done. It was a nice day, and so they decided to train in the park instead of the woods.

"Man, I hope this weather holds." Jordan stated. "It would seriously suck if we got all the sun while we were still cooped up in school."

"I have to admit, I'm looking forward to the holidays too." Troy told him. "This looks like a good spot, we don't want to run into the protest crowd."

"Don't remind me, dad wouldn't stop going on about it." Jordan answered as they put down their bags. "Emma's probably looking forward to it."

"Yeah, no doubt she is." Troy said with a smile. "I bet Noah's still off sulking somewhere because she wouldn't stay away."

"What is his deal anyway?" Jordan asked. Troy just shrugged.

"Your guess is as good as mine." Troy replied. "Who the hell cares if Spider's doing experiments with fertiliser and Sodium Chloro...whatever it was."

Jordan just stopped dead as he heard this. Troy just saw the look in his eyes.

"What?" He asked.

"Sodium Chlorate?" He asked. Troy just nodded.

"Maybe." He said quietly. "Why?"

"Fertilisers have high volumes of Potassium Nitrate in them." He replied. "Dad worked in counter-terrorism for a couple of years! Potassium Nitrate and Sodium Chlorate are the base ingredients for a lot of bombs!"

"Wait, you think..." Troy began to say.

"It was the IRA's weapon of choice for years!" Jordan called out.

Troy wasn't entirely convinced, but clearly Noah was. Either way, he didn't want to take the chance.

Over at the Brainfreeze, Ernie was dealing with his usual few early morning coffee customers when Gia arrived. She smiled as she saw Cat behind the counter with him, preparing for the day ahead.

"Hey!" She called out cheerfully, seeing Gia arrive. Gia just looked at her, a little surprised, seeing her wearing a Brainfreeze t-shirt.

"Cat?" Gia asked. "I didn't know you worked here." Gia greeted her. "I didn't know...well...anyone worked here, other than Ernie."

"Cat very generously agreed to help out." Ernie informed her. "She has been a big help already, I may just need to consider taking her on."

"Well, I guess there are days you could use the help." Gia replied. Cat noticed one of the customers getting up, and heading out of the door.

"Thank you for coming to Ernie's..." Her words tailed off. "Hey sir, hey!"

She ran out from behind the counter, and stooped down, picking up a backpack. Gia saw her run out the front, and start to look around.

"You forgot your bag!" She called out. There was no answer. Cat came back in with the bag, looking to Gia and Ernie. "He left this."

"We'll keep it in case he comes back." Ernie told her, taking the bag off her. "Perhaps there is some identification..."

His face fell as he looked inside. It was something he hadn't seen in a long time. His heart froze as he looked inside, seeing the glass jar, and the cell phone. He threw the bag onto the couches and ran for Gia and Cat, tackling them both to the floor as the phone rang. Before any of them could get their bearings, an explosion ripped through the cafe, sending debris in all directions.

Gia's ears were still ringing, and she was coughing, choking on dust as she finally came around enough to see security running into the restaurant. She couldn't move, since Ernie was still on top of her, and weighed considerably more than her. As he was moved gingerly off her, she saw that her hands were covered in blood.

"Try not to move." A tinny voice told her as one of the security guys knelt over her. She was starting to try and sit up, but he gestured to her to stay down. "An ambulance is on the way."

Gia just nodded gently, taking a look over to where Cat was lying motionless, but her chest was rising and falling, indicating she was still breathing. She finally caught sight of Ernie as they pulled him away. His back was covered in blood, and looked like it was all but completely shredded. She could see he was breathing, but it was shallow, and very laboured. It was clear that he had taken most of the damage. He had thrown himself on top of the girls, taking most of the blast. She tried to reach out for him.

"Don't move." The guard reiterated. "There's help on the way."

Gia did exactly as she was told, but tears were already running down her face. For the first time in years, she found herself praying.

Eric was at the plant by the time the protesters arrived. He looked out at the crowd, carrying banners, chanting slogans in chorus. He had seen things like that many times, but this time was different. He turned around as someone called out.

"Eric!" Wayne called out. "A bomb just went off at the mall. It was in some ice-cream parlour."

"The Brainfreeze?" He rushed out in a panic. Wayne just nodded.

"How did you...?"

"Gia's there!" He called out, starting to dial his cell phone. Just then, there was a horrendous bang, and a lot of screams. Eric looked up to see a number of the protesters staggering around, covered in blood.

Another explosion sounded, and more people fell, some of his own team falling as debris rained through the holes in the chain link fence. Eric ran over to one of them, finding him peppered with what appeared to be bent nails.

"Shit, that son of a bitch!" He called out. "Nail bombs!"

"I'll get this place locked down." Wayne told him. Eric helped the injured guard to his feet, and started to drag him away. He hadn't seen anything like that since he'd left the Middle East. Whoever had done this clearly didn't care who got hurt.

Outside the fence, Emma pulled herself off the ground. She'd been knocked down as someone ran into her in a blind panic. As she started to get up, something struck her hard on the side of the face, knocking her senseless. She felt blood running down her face, before an arm wrapped around her, hauling her to her feet. Spider started to drag her towards the gate, where Kyle was standing guard, trying to make sense of what was going on.

"Let us in!" Spider told him.

"I..."

"Can't you see she's hurt?" Spider told him. "Let us in!"

Kyle had learned his lesson from the unfortunate incident the day before. Emma heard Spider speaking soothingly into her ear, assuring her that they'd be alright. Kyle let them both in, helping Spider take Emma into the plant building.

"What...what happened?" She murmured as they sat her down. Spider stepped away as Kyle started to look her over. Part of his training was basic first-aid.

"It looks like you've taken a pretty hard hit to the head." Kyle told her. He looked at it, but he found that unlike the injuries he would have expected, this seemed to be more of a blunt force trauma than a laceration. He heard a mechanical click behind him, and his heart froze. He'd know the sound of a gun cocking anywhere.

"Thanks rent-a-cop." Spider sneered, before shooting him in the back. Kyle fell to the ground, where he shot him another twice. Emma looked up to Spider as he turned the gun on her.

"Hands behind your back." He told her. Emma just did as she was told, at which he took out a zip tie, binding her hands behind her back.

"Spider?" She asked him weakly. He just grabbed her, hauling her to her feet.

"You've done exactly what I wanted." Spider told her. "You got me inside."

"You...you used me!" Emma wept as she realised pitifully late what her friends had been trying to tell her. Spider had been using her all along. He knew that her dad ran the security team. He knew that they'd let her in, meaning they'd let him in if he was with her. He just laughed.

"Wow, you catch on quick." He replied sarcastically as he shoved her forward. "This way."

"What...what are you going to do?" She asked.

"The nail bombs were a distraction." He told her. "I can make a pretty big bang, but not enough to do any real harm to a building. Of course, with the little parcel I have in this backpack attached to the main chemical tanks..."

"You'll...you'll take out the whole plant!" She shrieked. "People have been hurt...people could die!"

"The Earth needs someone fighting for it." He told her. "Once the world sees what happened here, maybe then something will be done."

Outside, Jordan and Troy arrived, morphed and ready for action. They arrived to find people still in a complete state of panic and confusion.

"We're too late." Troy called out.

"Not quite." Jordan replied, scanning with the visor of his helmet. He found another bomb that hadn't gone off yet. He pulled it out, showing a glass jar, full of nails, with a device strapped to it, a cell phone at the top to act as a detonator. He used all the strength he had, and hurled it as far as he could.

"The 49ers so need me." Jordan said as he watched it sail into the nearby lake, where it would detonate with no casualties. He felt an impact on the back of his helmet, and he turned around to see four guys dressed in black combat gear, wearing masks before him.

"I'm guessing this is something to do with you?" He asked. They all levelled pistols his way, firing. Jordan covered his face with his arms instinctually, but all that happened was he heard metallic ringing as the bullets rebounded off his armour. He looked to them as they ran out of bullets, dumbfounded that he was still standing. One of them threw his pistol, which rebounded off the emblem on Jordan's forehead, before spinning to the ground. Jordan looked down at the gun, then back up at them.

"Yeah, because that was going to work." He stated sarcastically as Troy arrived behind them. He took them down quickly, but with more than a little more force than was really necessary.

"We need to get these people help." Troy told him. "Spider's nowhere in sight!"

"Find him." Jordan replied, beginning to help the wounded. Troy ran inside in search of Emma, his heart racing. He couldn't help imagining what could be happening to her.

Meanwhile, inside the plant, Emma watched as Spider started to set up his main bomb next to some gas tanks. He had already counted on the chain reaction taking the whole place up. She had tears running down her face as she thought about it. He'd played her for a sucker the whole time.

"Why the long face Emma?" He asked her. "I thought you'd be glad to see a place like this gone."

"Not like this!" She screamed, struggling against her bonds.

"Sorry, but the political process just doesn't work." Spider told her. "An envelope here, a favour there...you know how it is. They'll just keep poisoning the Earth until someone makes them stop because the only voice that matters is the almighty dollar. Well guess what, today is that day!"

"You...you never cared about me did you?" Emma asked him. He just cradled her face with his hand and smiled.

"What do you think?" He asked her. Just then, he heard a huge yell, and was punched across the room. He looked up to see the Blue Ranger standing over him.

"You're finished Spider!" Noah snarled, rage burning through him. He'd heard every word. He had his suspicions what he was up to, but he always hoped he was wrong. Hearing that Spider had indeed played her made his blood boil.

"I don't think so." Spider said with a smile as he got up. He pointed to the bomb. "You can stop me, or stop the bomb."

Noah saw him take to heel and start running, and turned his attention to the bomb. It looked very complex, far more complex than he'd hoped. As Troy arrived, he looked to Noah.

"Noah..."

"I don't know if I can shut it off." He stated. Troy looked to Emma and brought forth his Dragon Sword, cutting her free.

Noah started to work frantically on the bomb. He could take it apart, he was confident of that much, but he was beginning to doubt he had the time. It was only good luck that Spider had set it on a timer, and not used one of the cell phones as a remote detonator, meaning he could detonate it any time he wanted.

"Troy, get Emma out of here!" Noah told him.

"Noah..."

"I can't shut it off in time!" Noah told him. He looked to the clock, seeing the timer hit 10. He looked to Troy, seeing that the Red Ranger had seen it too. They both knew they didn't have time to get out. Troy threw himself over Emma, while Noah grabbed the bomb, clutching it to his chest and covering it as much as he could with his body.

Outside, Spider heard the bomb going off. He skidded to a stop, and turned, but saw that...nothing else happened. He couldn't understand it. He knew that the bomb should have been enough. He heard a gun cocking and turned around, seeing Kyle.

"But..."

"It's called Kevlar asshole." He stated, tearing open his shirt to show he had a vest on underneath. "Stay where you are you son of a bitch!"

"Lose the gun or I will drop you." Eric said as he arrived behind him. "I've got a direct shot at your spine. Paraplegic or quadriplegic, it makes no difference to me you son of a..."

He spun Spider around, looking into the face of the man who had been threatening his family all this time. He recoiled in disgust as he saw his face.

"You?" He asked.

"Wayne arrived and saw the scene unfolding before him and he felt his tears beginning.

"Mikey?" He asked, seeing his son standing before him. Eric looked between Wayne and his son, feeling sympathy for his friend.

"I guess now I know how you were so familiar with Cerberus." Eric told him. He was about to approach, but Wayne stopped him, before moving over to his son.

"Why?" Wayne asked him.

"The fact you even have to ask shows how little you know your kids." Mikey snorted. Wayne just grabbed his son and started to lead him away towards the gate, where the emergency services were dealing with the casualties. He turned back to Eric.

"I'm sorry...I didn't know." He said with tears in his eyes. Eric just nodded.

"I'm sorry too." Eric replied as Wayne took his son to a police car to have him arrested.

Jordan ran into the plant, finding the place filled with smoke. He walked through in search of his friends. He found Troy with Emma in his arms. He had de-morphed, the suit taking the blast and saving their lives. Troy held her closely, rocking her as she wept into his chest.

"It's alright, you're safe." He assured her, grateful that he hadn't lost her. The moment he realised the bomb was about to go off, his first thought was to protect her. She wasn't morphed; she didn't have her suit to protect her. He looked to Jordan. "Noah..."

"I'll check on him." Jordan replied, running over to where Noah was lying on the floor. He stirred him.

"Noah." He said to him. "Noah, speak to me."

"Maybe once the room stops spinning." He muttered as Jordan helped him to sit up. Jordan recalled his armour.

"Dude, you totally did it." Jordan said in an impressed tone, smiling at him. "You totally saved the day."

"I..."

"Dude, you totally hugged a freaking bomb!" Jordan reminded him. "Even with my armour I don't know if I'd have done that. How could you know that your suit would take it?"

"I didn't." Noah replied as he looked over to where Troy was comforting Emma, cradling her softly. Jordan just followed Noah's gaze to Emma as Troy kissed her forehead, telling her that everything would be alright.


	45. After the Blast

The hospitals of Harwood were stretched to breaking point by the attacks. Even though they were used to receiving a lot of admissions ever since the monster attacks began, usually they had enough staff and means to cope. Jordan was standing in the hall when Jake arrived. He was wearing the uniform of the school soccer team, having come back as soon as he heard of the attack. He hadn't even taken the time to change.

"Jake..."

"I just heard, I only just got back from Reefside." Jake rushed out. The school team had been playing a match against the Reefside Warriors when news came across the radio. Knowing that most of the Harwood team would have friends or family that were hurt in the attack, the game was swiftly abandoned. "Where are...?"

"Everyone's being treated." Jordan assured him. "Gia was in the Brainfreeze when the first bomb was detonated. By the sounds of it, Ernie took the brunt of it."

"What about...?"

"Troy's shaken, but he seems to be fine." Jordan continued. "Noah took a pretty big hit. He smothered the main bomb with his body."

"Holy sh..."

"He's fine." Jordan told him. "He's not going to be dancing the fandango any time soon, but the suit saved him. He's got some broken ribs and he got his bell rung pretty badly, but he'll be fine."

"What about the others?" Jake asked, clearly feeling guilty about the fact he wasn't there when his team needed him. There was no way he could have known what Spider was up to, but that didn't stop him blaming himself for the fact his friends had gotten hurt and he was fine.

"Troy's alright, but its Emma we need to worry about." Jordan told him. "Spider really did a number on her."

"I can't believe this happened." Jake said, running a hand through his hair as he tried to get his head around it. "I mean, how could a kid...a high school kid..."

"He was a kid with an aptitude for chemistry." Jordan reminded him. "Sadly, if you know what you're doing, you can make a pretty big bang with the contents of your local hardware store. Anyone with access to the internet or a library card can put together something like that if they want to."

"Really?" Jake asked. Jordan just nodded.

"The devices he made were crude, but effective." Jordan told him. "The fact he added nails to the mix shows he was looking to cause carnage."

Just then, a doctor arrived, nudging Jordan.

"Noah's asking for you." The doctor told him. Jordan and Jake followed the doctor as he headed for the room.

Elsewhere, Cat came around, finding Gia and her brother waiting by her bed. She was finding her vision blurring in and out of focus, but she knew enough to know that she was in the hospital.

"It's OK." Gia said soothingly.

"Ernie..."

"He's in intensive care." Gia told her. "He took the worst of it. He saved both of us."

"Will he be OK?" Cat asked her.

"The doctors don't know yet." Gia told her honestly. She too was worried, and also felt guilty. Although she had reasoned that there was no way she could have figured out the danger and morphed in time to save them both, she still felt like somehow it was her responsibility to take that hit. She still didn't know if Ernie would pull through. Even if he did, there was no guarantee that he'd make a full recovery. It felt like he had sacrificed everything for her, without even knowing that when all was said and done, she was the superhero. She was the one who was meant to save people. "He doesn't have any next of kin, but the doctors said they'd keep me posted."

"My head hurts." Cat complained. Gia just nodded.

"I have a pretty mondo headache too." She admitted. "I thought Ernie's taste in music was loud."

She looked to Cat's brother, who just got up from his seat.

"I'll just see about some coffee." He told them, touching Cat's arm gently. "I'll be back."

As he left, Gia just smiled and looked down to Cat.

"You really scared me there." Gia told her. "When I saw you lying there...I've...I've never been so scared."

"I'll try not to do that again." Cat replied. Gia smiled.

"That would be appreciated." Gia answered. "When I saw you lying there, all I could think about was that...that..."

Gia stumbled over her words, unable to form the thoughts running through her mind into anything even remotely resembling words of any meaning. She could only think back to the moment she saw Cat lying on the floor, covered in blood, and her heart just stopped. She could only think about her laugh, her smile, all the random things that just came flowing out of her mouth...and how much she'd miss them. She moved closer, kissing Cat softly.

"I don't know what I'd have done if anything happened to you." Gia told her. Cat just looked up at her.

"It didn't." She replied, reaching up to Gia's face with her hand, touching her cheek. "I'm still here."

In another room, Emma stirred and started to come around. While Noah and Troy had stopped the worst of the damage, she was still pretty badly rattled. She blinked a little, trying to focus, to find Troy and Eric by the side of her bed.

"What...?"

"It's OK Emma, you're safe now." Troy told her, squeezing her hand gently. "It's over."

"Gia...?"

"She's here. One of Spider's friends put a bomb in the Brainfreeze." Troy informed her. "She'll be alright; they're just checking her out."

"You all tried to tell me. You all warned me." Emma mumbled, feeling her heart weighting with the guilt. So many people had been hurt, some might even die. Her friends, all of her friends had been telling her all along that Spider was bad news. She just didn't listen; she didn't want to hear it. "This is all my fault."

"No it isn't sweetheart." Eric assured her. "Spider played us all. He's obviously been planning for this for a while."

"He...he knew that your team would let me in. He knew that I could get him into the plant." Emma continued, putting her hand over her eyes as she started to cry. "I'm such an idiot."

"Emma, none of us knew he was capable of something like this." Troy told her. "Sure, I didn't like the guy, but I never thought he'd...who ever thinks someone would actually do something like that?"

"I should have known." Emma murmured. Eric just stroked her hair softly.

"He played us all." Eric reiterated. "He might be a kid, but he was smart. He knew what he was doing. He...he knew every move we were about to make."

He looked into her eyes.

"His real name's Mikey. He's Wayne's son." Eric told her. "I didn't figure it out until I saw his face. He's gotten this far because he knows all the protocols we have. Wayne was feeding him all the information he'd ever need and didn't even know it."

"Wayne?" Emma gasped. "He...he..."

"He's taking it pretty hard." Eric told her. "All things considered, I can't really blame him."

"Whatever happens, just know, none of this is your fault." Troy told her. He looked to Eric, who just headed out of the room. He looked down on her and smiled. "You're simply the most amazing person I've ever met."

Emma just looked to him as he leaned over, cradling her face with his hand.

"I've...I've never actually...you know...been with a girl." He told her. "I'm not scared to face a guy twice my size, but the one thing I thought about when that bomb went off was that I might never be able to tell you what you that...I like you."

With that, he leaned over and kissed her softly. Neither of them noticed Noah standing in the doorway. He saw the scene unfolding before him, and looked to the cheap, gift-shop bouquet of flowers in his hand. Tears stung his eyes as he dumped them in a trash can and made his way back to his room.


	46. Ernie's Request

Hospitals, Troy genuinely hated hospitals. It wasn't like he'd had any majorly traumatic experiences of them. His grandfather, the only one still around by the time he was born, had passed away peacefully watching TV on his couch when Troy was only about eight years old. None of his family had spent any real amount of time in hospital, and with the exception of a few accidents in training, he hadn't really spent much time in hospital. That was the reason he hated it though. His only experiences of hospitals had been when he'd ended up hurt in competition. It was an inevitable hazard of his love of Martial Arts that on occasion, he'd ended up with injuries that needed a little more than an ice-pack. To him, hospitals meant one thing, failure.

Spider's actions, acts of criminal vandalism, random violence...to be blunt, acts of terrorism, were not really the Rangers' priority. The Rangers were there to fight a war for the Earth. They were there to concentrate on threats to the very future of the world, the Warstar, the Toxic Mutants...in the end; he knew that it couldn't be expected of them to deal with everything by themselves.

It didn't stop him feeling like there was more they should have been able to do though. The nail bombs were a very nasty, choice, used by terrorists for a reason. They didn't have to be particularly powerful. They sent shrapnel flying in all directions at great speed, tearing into unfortunate victims. With the yard at the chemical plant full of protesters and security staff, meant that this hospital, and from what he had heard, most of the others, were full of victims with varying degrees of injury from the blasts. He couldn't help feeling guilty that he hadn't managed to prevent much of the damage.

His own team had suffered their wounds too. He always felt badly when one of his team got hurt. It felt like a personal failing if he couldn't prevent them from leaving a battle on their feet. He felt like as the leader, it was his responsibility. He should have been able to see that Spider was up to something. He had almost lost two members of his team to Spider's campaign. While he knew that Spider couldn't possibly have known that they were the Rangers, and that taking them out was not his intent, it was humbling, and sickening to think that he'd gotten so close to succeeding where so many had failed.

"Dude, they're just making sure." Jake assured him as he saw the worried look on Troy's face. Jordan and Noah were sitting a little way off, waiting on word from her too. He and Noah had taken their shots, their suits taking the worst of the damage. He had managed to get away virtually unharmed, only a few bruises and suchlike. Noah on the other hand, he was going to hurt for quite some time, having suffered some broken ribs. He had used his own body to muffle the blast from Spider's main device, the one he was planning to use to bring the whole factory down. It was a risky move, one that could have ended up with Noah sacrificing his life. While they had some ideas, none of them really knew what level of protection the suits really offered. It wasn't like they walked away from battles with perfect hair and make-up. "She'll have taken worse bails from her bike."

"I know, it's just..." Troy started to say, playing with the edge of his paper coffee cup, picking at it. "How did this happen?"

"The problem with guys like Jordan is that they don't reveal themselves until it's too late." Jake reminded him. "Hell, if people were kind enough to wear t-shirts saying 'I'm a psycho-terrorist scumbag planning on blowing shit up', then maybe things like this wouldn't happen."

"He was a jerk, but he was a smart jerk." Jordan agreed. "Sure, he bugged the crap out of us but until I heard about the stuff he was gathering, I had no idea he would do something like this."

Gia arrived, limping over to them. Troy looked up to her from his seat.

"Are you...?"

"It's just a sprain." She assured them. "Ernie took the worst of it. This is from when he landed on top of us. Ernie's a pretty heavy guy."

"So, Cat...?"

"She'll be fine too." Gia assured them. "I've not been able to get in to see Ernie yet. They say he hasn't woken up yet."

"Man, Ernie's got guts." Jake remarked, taking a deep breath. He still hadn't changed out of his soccer kit yet, being unable to concern himself with that while he was still waiting for news. Just then, the doctor came out of the room.

"She's resting comfortably." He informed them. "Her father's with her now. We just needed to make sure we got all the shrapnel."

"She's going to be alright?" Troy asked hopefully. The doctor just nodded.

"We'd prefer her to stay in overnight just to be sure, but I'm sure she'll be able to be released tomorrow." The doctor continued with a smile. "Whatever those Rangers did to protect her really did the trick. A lot of people have a lot to be grateful for. I've never seen anything like this happen before, but I've heard about them. Things could have been a lot worse."

"Can we...?"

"She's resting for now." The doctor reiterated. "I'd like to restrict it to just family right now, but she's..."

Just then, an intern arrived, handing him a clipboard, which he inspected. He looked up.

"It appears your friend from the ice-cream parlour just recovered consciousness." He told them. "He's asking for Ms Moran."

"He...he is?" Gia asked.

"He doesn't have any family listed." The doctor informed her. "He had his insurance forms changed a little while ago. He appears to have listed you as his point of contact."

Gia had stayed with Ernie briefly after her dad kicked her out of the house. She knew he didn't have any family of his own. She had a special fondness for Ernie since then, but to hear that he had listed her as his point of contact was still a bit of a shock. Just like Emma, he was in intensive care, meaning that his visits would be restricted to family. By changing his details, he had listed Gia as having that right.

"You should go." Jake told her. "If he's asking for you..."

"We'll be here when you get back." Jordan added. Gia just nodded in agreement, before heading down the hall with the intern.

She got to a room, finding Ernie lying on a bed, heavily covered in dressings. He had never looked so weak and helpless to her. She saw him struggling to lift his head up to see her better, and gestured to him to lie back down.

"Don't, just...just rest up." She told him, coming to his side. She took a seat next to him.

"Now I know how chopped almonds feel." He joked weakly. Gia forced a smile, knowing that he just wanted to assure her that he was alright. It wasn't really working though. Even now, she could see that he was obviously in a lot of pain. "You...you are well?"

"I'm just a little bruised up." She told him. "Cat's fine too. Her brother's going to take her home later."

"I am pleased to hear that." He answered with a smile, grateful that he had indeed acted quickly enough to save them.

"What you did, that was one of the bravest, most incredible things I've ever seen." Gia said quietly as she held his hand.

"That is a promise I can't keep." Ernie assured her. "When I looked in that bag...when I saw what was inside, I didn't think about it."

"You knew what it was?" Gia asked him. Ernie sighed.

"Before I came to this country, I was working in security forces back home." He informed her. "It was a terrible place, where bad things happened to people all the time. I wanted to get my family out of the country, and come somewhere I could make a better life for them."

"Your family?" Gia asked him. He just nodded.

"I had a wife and a daughter." He informed her, looking to Gia. "She would have been about your age. I think you would have really liked her."

"They didn't make it?" Gia asked. Ernie shook his head.

"Sadly, I was not there for my family." He answered. "I was there for you."

Gia just leaned in, kissing his cheek softly. As she parted from him, he looked to her.

He fumbled around on the cabinet next to him, and started to scribble out a number. He took the piece of paper and handed it to her.

"I will need someone to run the Brainfreeze while I recover." He told her.

"Ernie, I can..."

"That is a generous offer, but you have your own responsibilities." He responded. "Besides, I am certain that there is quite some cleaning up to do before it can be re-opened. Call that number. It is a business partner of mine. If you explain what happened, he will arrange something."

"We'll all help out in any way we can." Gia promised him. "You just get better. The Brainfreeze won't be the same without you."

"I am perfectly certain with you and your friends watching it, my business will be safe." He stated.

In another part of the hospital, Kyle was finally getting treated. With so many people to see, he was a pretty low priority. Like all of the other members of the security team, he wore a covert vest under his suit for his own safety. A covert vest was made from Kevlar weave, meaning that it was thinner and more flexible than a tactical vest, and so didn't ruin the appearance of the suit over it. The sacrifice was that because of the lack of plates, it didn't offer the same protection. The tightly woven material prevented the bullets from penetrating, but they still hurt like hell. He was badly bruised from the shots, though he was thanking his lucky stars that Spider seemed to know more about improvised bombs than guns. His choice of a low calibre pistol had almost certainly saved Kyle's life.

"So, how are you feeling?" Eric asked as he came into the room. Kyle just looked to his boss, pulling on a shirt.

"I'll be fine." Kyle responded, buttoning up his shirt. "How's Emma?"

"She should be home tomorrow." He told Kyle, taking a seat. "I think she's more upset about the fact she thought he cared about her."

"It was a really shitty thing to do." Kyle agreed. "I'm glad to hear she's OK."

Eric took a deep breath as he looked to his young employee.

"You brought her inside." Eric reminded him. "You brought him inside."

Kyle just gulped. He had hoped that Eric wouldn't think too much about that. Now that he knew who Emma was, and following the encounter in the canteen, he hadn't thought about Spider when he saw them. He only saw Emma with a head injury, and had shown her in, trying to get her to safety. Spider had used Emma as a distraction to get inside. He was now sure that Spider had probably used the confusion and the panic to inflict the injury on Emma so that the security team would bring her inside. Kyle, like so many others, had been played.

"I...um..."

"Mikey played a lot of us for fools. Even Wayne was completely unaware of what was going on." Eric stated. "You might have made a mistake, but what matters is you got back up and did something about it."

He pulled a flyer out of his jacket pocket and handed it to Kyle.

"This is a training course I like a lot of my guys to go on." He informed Kyle. "Its three months, but it really is pretty good. They don't usually accept people your age, but I can pull some strings."

"I don't know what to say." Kyle stammered. After the canteen, he considered himself lucky he wasn't looking for a new job.

"About twenty five percent of my former employees go on to the Secret Service. Two of them are currently working protection detail for the President." Eric said proudly, patting Kyle on the shoulder. "I'd strongly recommend this."

"Thanks." Kyle said gratefully. "I...I won't let you down."

"I'm sure you won't." Eric answered, before leaving the room.

Elsewhere in the hospital, Jordan was wandering around, when he found Noah by a vending machine. He was mashing the buttons, and pounding on it. Jordan came over, looking at him.

"Um...problem?" Jordan asked.

"Damn machine just swallowed my money." Noah snarled, smashing his fist into the front of it. Jordan just sighed and checked in the change slot, finding a quarter in there. He placed it into the slot, and the total on the display flashed to indicate he now had entered enough to make a purchase.

"It helps if the machine accepts all your coins genius." Jordan stated. Noah just muttered something under his breath as he selected a Snickers bar from the options on display. He lifted it out, and started to unwrap it. Jordan just gestured to the machine. "So, is everything OK, or do we have to start keeping you away from vending machines?"

"I just lost my cool a little OK?" Noah asked him.

"Yeah, like we see that from you every day." Jordan said sarcastically.

"I think I'll just go somewhere and eat my candy bar in peace." Noah told him. "Is that alright?"

"Well it would be, but the thing is, I don't really like it when my friends are unhappy." Jordan told him.

"Bye Jordan." Noah snapped as he went into a room and shut the door behind him. Jordan tried to open it, but found that the door was locked. He knew he could get in if he wanted, but he doubted knocking down doors in a hospital where people were trying to rest was exactly going to endear him to the staff. He just shook his head and left, looking for Jake. There was no point in trying to force the issue. If Noah wanted to talk, he would eventually. He just wasn't holding his breath for it happening any time soon.


	47. Healing at Home

The following day went by in a bit of a blur for everyone. While there were a number of quite serious injuries that required long-term care, fortunately for the team, they had only really suffered relatively minor injuries. Jake had been fortunate enough to be with the school soccer team, playing a friendly match and so hadn't actually been at the site of the attack. Jordan had arrived with the team after the first blasts, and so had also escaped without injuries. Gia, Troy and Emma had gotten away with minor cuts and bruises. Noah was the most seriously injured, but with a couple of broken ribs, once the doctors were satisfied he wasn't in danger of them moving and puncturing anything vital, all they had done was tell him to take it easy and not take any undue risks for a few weeks.

Eric was at the office, having to prepare press statements. The unfortunate fact was that his firm, and by extension he, were responsible for the security at the plant. That meant that when the press had stopped reporting on the horror of the attack, the next step was clamouring for answers as to how exactly this had happened. Queen Power and Energy, and Cerberus had a lot to do in order to answer the inevitable questions as to how so many people had managed to get hurt, and what the authorities were doing about it. Spider was in custody, and some CCTV footage from the mall had led the police to catch the guy Spider had sent to plant the bomb in the Brainfreeze. They were sure that more would be named under interrogation, but that still didn't mean people weren't looking for people to blame.

Emma was at home, trying to study. The exams weren't far away, and while some of them had been put back a little for those who needed time to get over the incident, it wasn't as if the school could realistically cancel them. Gia came downstairs, carrying a re-usable shopping bag. She's once made the mistake of bringing a plastic bag home from the shops once, and ended up with a lecture about how long they took to decompose, and how they disrupted jellyfish breeding patterns in the sea. Emma saw her starting to gather up a few things.

"Where are you going?" Emma asked.

"I have a couple of things to do." Gia told her. "I have to meet that friend of Ernie's at the Brainfreeze to let him in. Cat and I..."

"You're meeting Cat there?" Emma asked with a sly little smile. Gia just rolled her eyes and put down the bag.

"We're going to let the guy in, and then we're going to her place to study." Gia replied abruptly. Although she and Cat had a moment in the hospital, they still weren't really sure where to go from there. As Gia went into the fridge to get some things out for a snack, Emma noticed something in the bag and reached inside, fetching it out. Seeing her friend do this, Gia lunged for it, but Emma snatched it away.

"So, you're just going to study huh?" She teased Gia, holding up a little stuffed toy. It was a little purple dragon with yellow spines that she kind of recognised from one of Noah's videogames. Gia just took it from her, trying to hide her face as she took it back.

"Cat has kind of a thing about dragons." Gia mumbled as she put it away. "It's called Spyro, apparently he's a videogame character, but it was the best thing I could find on short notice."

"So, getting her a get well soon present?" Emma asked, with a huge, knowing smile on her face. "Well, I'm sure she'll really appreciate the gesture from such a good friend."

Gia saw Emma looking at her, trying to catch her eyes. She tried in vain to avoid her gaze for a moment, before finally groaning and looking back to her.

"Alright, something...something kind of happened at the hospital." Gia told her. Emma leapt up, hugging her friend tightly.

"I knew it, I just knew something happened!" She shrieked in delight. "What happened? What did you say? What did she...?"

Gia had to clamp a hand over Emma's mouth to make her stop long enough to get a word in. She just parted from her a little.

"I visited her in her room the other day." Gia started to explain. "I know she's a little...well...she's a lot strange, but I guess at some point, I really started to like that. Then, when the bomb went off, and I saw her lying there, and she wasn't moving...I guess I just started thinking."

"I guess a lot of us did a lot of thinking." Emma responded, thinking about her visit from Troy. She still couldn't get it out of her mind. Most of her pain wasn't physical. She could remember Troy using his body to shield her from the blast, holding her and taking the hit himself. It had been Spider that had done the most harm. She couldn't stop blaming herself that she hadn't managed to see through him. Troy had assured her that it wasn't her fault, and much like the story Gia was telling, he had ended up being spurred into telling her he liked her the way she had always hoped he would. "So...what happened?"

"If you're asking what I think you want to know, then yes, we did kiss." Gia told her. "We've...well, we've not really talked about where we're taking things from here, so..."

"Well, don't let me hold you up!" Emma rushed out, grabbing the dragon from Gia and shoving it and a number of things into the bag. "Don't keep the lucky girl waiting, get out of here!"

"Emma..."

"Go on!" Emma concluded, grinning broadly as she shoved Gia out of the kitchen. "Good luck!"

Gia just took a deep breath, before heading out of the front door. When she got there, she recoiled in fright as she almost walked straight into Troy. He was just about to knock when Gia opened the door.

"Wow, that's timing." Troy said, still looking a little jumpy. "So, going anywhere interesting?"

"I'm heading to the Brainfreeze." Gia told him. "Ernie asked me to let his friend in today so he could get started on the cleanup."

"Right." Troy answered, shifting aside to let her past. "I just came by to check on Emma, maybe get a little study done..."

"Study huh?" Gia asked, noticing he was holding something behind his back. She reached around, snatching a bouquet of flowers from him. Troy just started rubbing the back of his neck.

"Um..."

"So, it seems I wasn't the only one that thought seriously about what people mean to me." Gia said with a wry grin, looking back into the house. "Well, I guess we're going to have to a lot to talk about when I get back tonight."

She just swatted Troy gently on the chest with the flowers.

"Just...remember to get some actual studying done dragon boy." She teased him, starting to walk away. Troy just turned around as Gia started to leave.

"Gia!" He called after her. "The flowers?"

"Trust me; I'm doing you a favour." Gia answered. He just looked confused.

"By taking my gift?" He asked her.

"Yeah, you got your nature-loving environmentalism-obsessed potential girlfriend a nice gift." Gia said sarcastically. "A bouquet of flowers that have been ripped from the earth and cut so they can slowly but surely die?"

Troy was about to answer, before thinking about what she had said. He hadn't even thought about it like that. If anything, he hadn't thought about it at all. He'd just gotten her what he imagined was a pretty standard get-well/not overly intimidating first-date gift. He just sighed and nodded.

"Good call." He agreed, bowing to the fact Gia had known Emma a lot longer than him. Gia took the bouquet with her as she headed down the street in the direction of the mall. Troy just made his way inside, finding Emma by the table. He came over, sitting down with her. She smiled as she saw him.

"Hey there." She replied as she saw him. He just smiled back.

"Hey." He responded, before sitting in silence for a while. Eventually, Emma broke the silence.

"So, I guess maybe we should talk about the hospital?" She suggested. Troy just nodded.

"Yeah, I guess that would be an idea." He agreed.

In another part of town, Noah was in his room, working on the Harwood Social. He was hurt the most, having taken the direct blast from the bomb. With a couple of broken ribs, the doctors had warned him that he had to take it easy for a few weeks. While he wasn't exactly the athletic or outdoors type at the best of times, to him that meant that it was the perfect excuse to spend time in his room studying and working on his web site. He ignored a knocking at the door and kept working, assuming it would probably just be his mom asking again if he wanted anything to eat.

He didn't want to face anyone after what had happened. He knew how he felt about Emma; he had been falling for her for a while. He couldn't really place exactly when his feelings for her changed; all he knew was that when Spider had started to get close to her, he loathed him with a passion far beyond just hating the guy that lectured everyone about his environmental views. He'd love to say that the reason he had picked up on what Spider was doing was because he was just observant and vigilant, but it wasn't just that. He had just been insanely jealous that Spider was with Emma. He was obsessed with finding something wrong with him, some flaw that he could expose to Emma. He'd never have anticipated anything like what he found.

When he had figured it out though, he didn't have the proof he needed to bring it to Emma's notice. He had no choice but to hang back and keep an eye on Spider until he made his move. He had been at the protest, ready to act to bring him down. Unfortunately, he was just a little too late by the time the first bomb went off. It had quickly become apparent that the attack was well-coordinated and planned well in advance. He had ended up barely being able to get to Emma in time as Spider had already activated the last bomb.

While he was there, trying to defuse the bomb, he knew he didn't have time. Being closer, Troy had thrown himself on top of Emma to shield her from the blast, but even in the height of the crisis, Noah's scientific mind still kicked in. He knew that the blast from the bomb would set off the chemical tanks in a chain reaction. The resulting explosion would take the entire plant out, and everyone in it...and he was sure a pretty significant distance beyond that. He knew that the only way to stop that was to prevent the bomb's blast from triggering the chemical tanks. While Troy had covered Emma, he threw himself on the bomb, sacrificing himself for her. It was a sacrifice that had saved them all, but one that he doubted Emma would have seen.

As someone knocked the door again, he just turned in his desk chair and looked to the door.

"What?" Noah asked.

"Noah, your friends are here." His mom called through. Noah just rolled his eyes as he heard this. He really didn't want to see anyone, not now. He wasn't the kind of guy that opened up easily. His parents didn't really get him, or his interests. He never doubted that they loved him, but his dad was more interested in sitting on the couch, drinking beer and watching sports than he was in any of Noah's experiments. His mom...she genuinely cared about him, but she understood so little about what he was doing, she constantly bothered him any time he was doing experiments in the garage, which Noah affectionately termed his "lab", she constantly found excuses to come in and interrupt him to check on him and make sure he was safe. He didn't have the heart to tell her that the majority of his experiments really didn't carry much risk, while those that did were probably made MORE dangerous if he was distracted while he was doing them.

He didn't really have many friends. He'd bonded with Jake one time in grade school when they were made to work together and discovered a mutual love of comic books. He had a few people he mixed with occasionally in science club, or computer club, or while doing projects at school, but until the Ranger thing, Jake was the only one he really hung around with most of the time.

As for girls...well, he was a guy, a teenage boy. He had the same urges as anyone else, but for him it had never over-taken his brain the way it had for seemingly most of the others, even, he hated to admit it, his best friend Jake who had made a complete ass of himself more than once trying to catch Gia's eye. On their side, he wasn't the kind of guy girls went for. Sure, one of them would occasionally partner up with him in science or computing to get an easy A, or ask him for help when their phones/printers/laptops/mp3 players etc. Stopped working, but other than that, they tended to barely notice he was around. None of them were ever outright rude to him, none of them disliked or made fun of him like some of the guys did, they just...didn't care. She should have known better than to think he might stand a chance with Emma.

As the door opened, Jake and Jordan came into the room.

"Dude, you didn't answer your phone." Jake began. Noah just sighed.

"And you didn't maybe think that might be because I didn't want company?" Noah asked in response sarcastically. Jake just looked to Jordan, who just shrugged. He'd only gotten Jake involved because he had known Noah the longest. He figured if anyone was going to get Noah to open up, then it'd be Jake.

"This is a pretty rad collection." Jordan complimented Noah, seeing a whole cupboard full of comics, hanging up in plastic covers to keep them. "I have a ton at home myself, but nothing like...whoa, dude, you have the Maximum Carnage saga?"

"Yeah, it was pretty hard to find." Noah said with a shrug. "The storyline was unpopular, so they spread it across a few Spiderman titles, and didn't really advertise it well. It was pretty hard to track down the whole series."

"I'll say, I still don't know how it ends." Jordan replied. Noah just waved him off, indicating that he could take it. Jordan slipped the comics into his bag, while Jake took a seat with him.

"Noah, what's bugging you?" Jake asked him. "You barely said a thing at the hospital, and you didn't take any of my calls..."

"I just don't feel like doing much alright?" Noah asked him. "Broken ribs will do that to you."

"Yeah, they hurt like a bitch." Jordan agreed. "I remember I broke one in a tournament a couple of years back, that was not fun."

"Well, thanks for that assessment." Noah grumbled. "Now, as you can see, I'm fine so if you wouldn't mind..."

"Jordan told me." Jake interrupted him. Noah just adjusted his position in his chair, glaring at them both.

"He told you what?" Noah asked him. Jake took a deep breath.

"I kind of had my suspicions too." Jake continued. "Dude, you seriously did that for Emma?"

Noah just shook his head.

"I don't know what..."

"I saw how you looked at her." Jordan replied, looking at Noah.

"Seriously dude, that's pretty amazing." Jake told him with a smile. "I don't know why you're moping in here; you should be round there at her place!"

"Jake..."

"Seriously, if you care about her like that, why don't you say anything?" Jake asked her. "Maybe you should stop by and see how she is?"

"Jake, I just don't feel like it alright?" Noah snapped. Jordan just looked at him curiously.

"Noah, you jumped on a bomb." He stated. "How much courage do you think it could take to just say 'Emma, I like you'?"

"Yeah, OK, let's go round there right now!" Noah said sarcastically. "Let's go round to her place, knock on the door, tell her that I can't stop thinking about her..."

"Dude, that all sounds..."

"Just remember and call Troy first!" Noah snapped at them. Jordan and Jake just looked at each other in confusion. "Invite him around as well, that way they can both have a good laugh!"

"Noah, what are you talking about?" Jake asked him.

"You don't think I hadn't thought of doing the same thing?" Noah asked. "I did plan on going to see her in the hospital. When I got there, I got the Troy and Emma floor show!"

Joran and Jake suddenly realised what he meant. Neither of them had foreseen this eventuality. Now Noah's mood made a lot more sense.

"Dude..."

"Just go alright?" Noah asked them. Jake just shook his head and put his arm around Noah.

"What kind of friends would we be if we did that?" He asked him as Jordan put a hand on his other shoulder.


	48. The Rebirth of the Brainfreeze

Gia arrived at the Brainfreeze, finding Cat standing outside, waiting for her. Well, she was waiting for the guy Ernie was sending to take the lead in the clean-up operation and renovations of the Brainfreeze. However, given the way she was standing, looking around, she figured that she was looking for her. After all, she had no idea who the guy coming to open the place actually was, never mind what he looked like. Looking for him would be kind of pointless. As she saw Cat's face light up, and she waved enthusiastically, Gia couldn't help finding the display more than a little cute.

"Hey!" Cat called out as she came across, throwing herself into an enthusiastic hug. Gia returned it, smiling as she did so.

"No sign of the new guy yet?" She asked. Cat shook her head.

"Some contractors arrived, but they say we can't go in until we get some report from the police." Cat told her, gesturing to the yellow tape across what was left of the store front. Strictly speaking, it was a crime scene, so they needed for the police to confirm that they had finished collecting evidence and release the site before they could do anything. "None of us have the key anyway."

"Yeah, I've got it here." Gia replied. "The new guy's probably picking up the form as we speak. I explained the situation on the phone, so he'll know that he needs to get the all clear."

"Just as well the station's just around the corner." Cat replied, looking to Gia, smiling brightly. "So, how are you feeling?"

"Still sore, but I'm definitely a lot better." Gia answered as she started rummaging in her bag, suddenly remembering her gift. "You?"

"I'm pretty good." She told her. "My brother didn't want me to come out today, but I promised him I'd be alright."

"I got you something." Gia said, presenting the Spyro the Dragon toy to her. Cat's face lit up seeing it as she took it from her, hugging it intently.

"YAY!" She squealed out in delight, looking into the dragon's face.

"I knew you liked dragons." Gia explained. "Since I can't get you a real one, I figured this would be the next best thing."

"Oh, she's adorable, thank you Gia!" She squealed.

"Um...actually, I think it's..."

"I'm going to call her Huffy!" Cat said, squeezing the dragon tightly. "Thank you so much Gia."

Gia was going to explain that the dragon was actually a pre-existing character, and so already had a name...not to mention that it was by canon a guy, but seeing how excited she was, she didn't have the heart. If Cat wanted it to be a girl named Huffy, then she wasn't going to say anything.

"I'm really glad you like it." Gia replied, putting a hand on her shoulder. It wasn't long, before they saw a guy coming towards them, carrying a brown envelope. He was wearing a dark blue suit, with a white shirt and a dark blue tie. He was a little shorter than Gia, and Asian. He looked to them and smiled.

"Well, I guess you're Gia?" He asked. She just nodded, and accepted a handshake from him.

"RJ?" She asked.

"Uh...not quite." He replied. "JKP's hitting a major summer rush, he couldn't really leave town, so he sent me and..." He started looking around, noticing he was on his own.

"Seriously, I can't turn my back for two seconds without him getting distracted by something shiny." He grumbled. "Well, until he decides he's showing up...I'm Theo."

"Pleased to meet you." Gia responded, handing over the key. "Well, we need to get back to studying, you know finals and all. We'll just show you around and then we'll head out."

"No problem." He answered, taking out a Stanley knife and opening it, using it to cut the police tape, before turning to the construction crew waiting for them. "OK guys; let's see what kind of work we have to do."

They went inside, and Gia saw Cat clutching Huffy closer. She had to admit that coming into the Brainfreeze while it was still looking like this was more than a little disturbing. It was only a couple of days since the bomb had gone off. Gia felt a little ill as she saw a patch of blood on the floor, blood she was certain had to be Ernie's. Theo let out a low whistle.

"Well, it looks like we have quite a bit of work to do out here." Theo commented. "Which way to the kitchen?"

"Through here." Gia told him, thankful for the opportunity to leave the main room. Taking Theo through, she found that the kitchen had remained almost completely undamaged. Theo looked around and smiled.

"I guess the bomb wasn't that strong." Gia stated. "Jordan said nail bombs did most of their damage with shrapnel."

"It all makes the job of re-opening this place easier." Theo told her. "I'll check Ernie's apartment myself, but from the looks of the ceiling, I doubt anything penetrated. That means it's only the main service area we have to work on."

"So...how long do you think it'll take?" Gia asked him. "Cat and I have said we can work a couple of shifts a week to help out."

"That'll be appreciated. I've seen the way RJ works, and he has a team. How he did it on his own, I'll never know." He said with a smile. "That's why I brought back-up...whenever he decides to show up that is. I think with this team...we should have it up and running in about a week."

"Well, I guess we'll leave you to it." Gia answered, handing him a piece of paper, and Cat did the same.

"Well, here's our numbers in case you need anything." Gia stated, before gesturing to the door. "We should really...get going."

"OK, thanks for everything." Theo replied. "I'll take good care of this place."

As they started to leave, Cat pulled in to Gia closely as they walked through the restaurant again. Gia could feel her shaking, looking at the large patch of blood on the floor.

"It's OK." Gia assured her, holding her tightly as they left. "Theo's going to clear all this up."

"I'm glad." Cat told her. "I really don't want to see this again."

Elsewhere in town, Jordan and Jake had convinced Noah to leave his room to go and study with them elsewhere. Although, after his outburst, he had insisted he didn't want to talk any more, they had managed to convince him that moping in his bedroom wasn't doing any good. More accurately, they had convinced him that if they went to the mall, then at least his mom wouldn't interrupt every twenty minutes to ask if he needed anything. Jordan offering to put on the barbecue at his dad's place for a round of burgers just sealed the deal.

They got back to Jordan's place, letting themselves in.

"Hello, dad?" He called out. As usual, he got no answer. He just shrugged and gestured the others inside. "It looks like we have the place to ourselves. Set up in the Living Room, I'll get the barbecue going."

As they made their way inside, Noah set up at the Living Room table, setting up his laptop and starting to get his notes ready. Jake just put a hand on his shoulder.

"Dude, there's no rush." Jake told him.

"Jake, I told you before; I don't want to talk about it." Noah complained bitterly. "I don't even want to think about it, that's why I want to just study..."

"Well, if you don't want to talk, that's fine." Jake assured him. "But we can study after lunch. I'm sure we can find other ways to be distracted."

"I guess Jordan does have some pretty cool toys." Noah conceded, looking around. "It's hard to believe that his dad spends so much setting up a place like this when he's hardly ever here."

"It is nice." Jake replied, looking around. He stopped by the mantelpiece, picking up a picture frame. He smiled, seeing the woman in the picture and showed it to Noah. "It looks like the General has good taste."

"He did." Jordan interrupted them as he came back in, coming over and taking the picture from him. "That's my mom."

"Your mom?" Noah asked. "She was beautiful."

"Yeah, she was." Jordan agreed.

"Was?" Noah asked, catching the subtlety of the past-tense. It was something that, honestly, no one had asked him about, but they knew his dad was constantly travelling and working with his job. They knew Jordan often ended up taking care of himself in the house, but thinking about it, none of them had ever asked about his mom. He just nodded.

"She died a long time ago." Jordan confirmed, putting the picture back. "I never knew her really."

"Sorry dude." Jake said, feeling a little badly for bringing it up. "I didn't mean..."

"It's OK; my life's been pretty good." Jordan answered. "Anyway, I saw some burgers...100% beef, so I know you'll be able to eat them."

"Awesome." Jake said with a smile.

"Come on outside, no point wasting this weather." Jordan told them. "We can come inside and study after lunch."

With that, Jake and Noah followed Jordan outside, sitting out on the patio as Jordan opened the first pack of burgers.

"Jake, there's soda in the cooler. Help yourselves." Jordan instructed them. As he concentrated on the burgers, Jake handed Noah a soda.

"Look, I know you don't want to talk about this..."

"Jake!" Noah warned him.

"I just wanted to say, I know it sucks." Jake said sympathetically. "All I can say is that it does get better."

"Jake, you don't get it..."

"I think I kind of do." Jake interrupted him. "Are you forgetting about a certain mutual friend we have with a habit of wearing yellow?"

Noah just sighed.

"Jake, it's not the same thing." Noah grumbled.

"It kind of is if you think about it." Jake said as he shifted closer. "I really cared about her. I'd have done anything for her. In a lot of ways, I probably still would."

"Jake, she's..."

"Yeah, I know, but that doesn't make it any less painful." Jake answered. "It doesn't matter if someone you love isn't into you because they're into someone else, or...well...like Gia. It still really hurts that they don't feel the same way about you that you do about them."

"Are you saying...?"

"It is better now than it was." Jake said with a little smile. "But those kinds of feelings don't just go away."

"But...you and Gia..."

"Like I said, it gets easier." Jake told him. "The fact Gia and I are such good friends helps, but it didn't exactly happen overnight."

"So what you're saying is...?"

"What I'm saying is, I'm not going to lie to you. This hurts, and it'll hurt for a while. But it does get easier."

"Jake, do me a favour?" Noah asked. Jake just nodded.

"Sure, what?" Noah just smiled as Jordan came over with the first couple of burgers.

"Please don't try and cheer me up again." Noah told him. "I appreciate it though."

"Any time." Jake answered.

Over at the offices of Cerberus, Eric was in his office, going through paperwork. His press office had gone into overdrive, working to put together details of the incident and keep the press busy until they were ready to make a public statement. Eric generally handled the statements, being the head of the company, but it was the job of the press office to make sure no one else got caught out and made a statement that could be taken out of context, and to make sure Eric had his statement ready, prepared so that again, it was phrased properly so that it wouldn't be open to mis-quoting or misinterpretation by tabloids looking to cause trouble.

His phone started ringing. Since it was his landline, it had to have gone through the switchboard, and then his secretary so he had confidence that he could pick it up without having to worry about who could be on the other end.

"Hello?" He answered.

"Eric, its Louise." Mrs Moran started. He smiled a little as he took the call.

"Louise, it's nice to hear a friendly voice today." He answered as he leaned back in his chair. "Look, things are a little bit hectic around here, but if you want to talk about seeing Gia..."

"Eric, it's got to do with that, you need to listen to me." She told him. "We've got a problem."

"What kind of problem?" He asked her.

"I just got a delivery from Gerald. He wants me to contact his attorney's office and drop the divorce case." She informed him. "He also wants me to act as a character witness. He wants to use a diminished responsibility defence. He's going to say that because we've been having problems, and he's been unemployed and...He basically wants to say he wasn't in his right mind and appeal for leniency."

"Well a diminished responsibility defence does make sense." He agreed. "But...he wants you to drop the divorce and speak for him?"

"I guess he thinks it'll make him look better if he has his loving wife standing by him." She answered in a frustrated tone.

"Well...yeah, but why would he think you'd do that?" Eric asked her. Louise took a deep breath.

"He...he had a private detective follow me. I guess he was looking for stuff he could use against me in the divorce." She explained. Eric just shrugged.

"So?" He asked.

"He followed us the night you took me back to the hotel." She said sadly. "The night I invited you in, he took pictures of you coming into my room."

Eric sat upright in his chair. He knew what it would look like.

"The time stamp on the pictures of you coming in and leaving are about an hour apart." Louise continued, confirming what he was sure she was getting at. "He's threatening to use the pictures to say we were having an affair."

"Louise, just calm down." Eric said soothingly. "It doesn't matter if he does say that. If he does, he can use that for his defence..."

"He's not threatening to send the pictures to the court; he's threatening to send them to the press." She told him. Eric just took a deep breath hearing this.

"Louise, just...try to stay calm." He told her. "I'll think of something."

At the mall, Gia and Cat had just picked up some lunch, and were about to head for Cat's place to study. Cat still had Huffy clutched in her hand, not wanting to let her go.

"You know, I heard a rumour that there is a real dragon." Cat told her. "I heard that there was a dragon that helped the Power Rangers once."

"I think it'll probably have just been a robot." Gia said with a gentle laugh, shaking her head. She deliberately avoided the technical term Zord, since Cat still didn't know she was a Ranger. Gia was aware that in their time a few Ranger teams had Zords modelled after dragons. Cat just looked to her.

"I know, but this one team was in Briarwood, and a lot of people say that there are a lot of magical things there." Cat continued. "They said they had a dragon."

"Somehow I think it was probably just one of their robots." Gia assured her. "But maybe we can check it out some time."

As they collected their burritos, they turned around to see Theo waiting in line. He was wearing jeans, a t-shirt bearing the Jungle Fury symbol, and a hard hat. He was checking out the menu.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" Gia asked.

"Um...getting lunch?" He asked.

"Don't people usually get some work done before they go for lunch?" Gia asked. "You've just changed and come for lunch!"

"Um..."

"We have study to do." Gia said, rolling her eyes. "Just...call us if you need anything."

As they left, he just looked confused.

"Who were they?" He asked aloud. Just then, his phone rang. "Theooooooo!"

"Luen, where the hell are you?" Theo snapped. "We were expecting you half an hour ago!"

"Sorry, just had to pick up some things." Luen replied. "I'm picking up some tacos, you want anything?"

"Fine, get me some too." Theo replied. "Just, get your ass here. It's kind of customary for the foreman to be present for the renovations."

"Fine, I'll be there soon." Luen assured him as he hung up and approached the counter. "Two portions of tacos, extra hot sauce and cheese."


	49. Gerald's Visitor

Gerald was sitting in his cell, reading a newspaper when the announcement for visiting time came over the loudhailer. He didn't even listen, he knew that the only person that ever came to see him was his lawyer. His wife, Louise, had sent word through his attorney that she had no interest in coming to see him any longer after their last visit had dissolved into a rather unpleasant scene that ended up being separated by the guards. His daughter...he wouldn't see anyway, even if she did want to see him. She had been the one to start all of this.

He just continued to read, up until he heard a light tapping on the bars. One of the guards was standing there, tapping the bars with his night stick.

"You have a visitor Moran." He stated bluntly. "Get up."

Gerald got to his feet, and started to make his way to the door, before the guard unlocked it, letting him out of his cell. As Gerald was about to turn towards the visiting hall, the guard stopped him and pointed the other way. "This way."

"But...the visitor's suite..."

"This is a special case." The guard informed him. "Move it Moran."

Gerald just turned and started to head down the hall he was being directed towards, realising he was headed for the private meeting rooms, the place where remand prisoners were sent to meet with their attorneys and families. Despite everything, despite all that had happened and all the evidence against him, he had not yet been convicted of a crime. The justice system took time, and he already knew that it would likely be months before his court case would begin. In the eyes of the law, he was innocent since he had not yet seen trial and been proven guilty of any crime.

The only reason he was in prison now was because he had been denied bail on the grounds of his attempt to flee the city. He was considered a flight risk, and despite his attorney lobbying for it, the court had ruled against granting him bail. They were currently trying to negotiate him being allowed out under house arrest on an electronic tag, but until that happened, he had to spend his time in here like a criminal. He was surrounded by scum, people who truly deserved nothing better than to rot in this hellish place, but he knew better, he didn't deserve this. This was just the latest in a long string of wrongs fate had done to him.

At one time, he was looked up to and admired. In his youth, Gerald had always been a tall, strong, athletic, and good looking young man. He didn't have to try hard to find friends, and he certainly didn't have to try hard to gain admiration. For most of his life, things had just kind of...gone his way. His parents, while not hugely wealthy, certainly had enough that he never really wanted for anything. He had friends to spare, his school work just kind of fell into place, and through his academic and athletic achievements, he had his choice of colleges just desperate to take him on as a student and offer him scholarships. Life was easy, and it was good, he truly had been the King of Harwood back then.

It had even lasted well into his adult life. Straight out of college, he had gotten a prominent job in one of the city's leading plants, and quickly found the right people to curry favour with. In the end, he had been earning an admirable salary long before his wife told him they were expecting their first...and as it happened...only child. Things had been looking like he was destined for a golden lifestyle. He had money to burn, a nice home, and a family that was the envy of everyone.

Life, though, had a way of taking something wonderful and turning it into misery. About six months before this all began, Gerald had found himself being taken into an office and informed that the firm he worked for was downsizing as a result of a lot of unfavourable press eating into profits. He had been tasked with trying to find areas to cut expenses, and to find out who had jobs that were necessary in order to keep the company satisfied that the expense of keeping the plant open was worth it. In the end, after meeting every one of his targets, they ended up closing the plant anyway. Gerald was given a severance check that was way below what he could reasonably expect for having done his job so well simply because the company "couldn't afford" it, while their shareholders still got generous bonuses. He was unemployed.

He later found that the job market was no less merciful. While not an old man, and with some reasonable qualifications behind him, finding work was problematic. For some places, he was overqualified for an entry level position, so they were concerned he would simply leave within weeks once another firm got wind of his performance. For others, his age was a concern. While not an old man per se, many entry level positions could be given to people well over a decade his junior for considerably less, who were more than qualified to handle the job. He was in a classic catch 22 situation. After selling the house he had struggled for years to buy to free up money and going to a dive of an apartment to free up money, he was truly on his ass.

It was tough, going from the top of the heap to the bottom. He had always been the top dog in his social group. He had been the all-star athlete in school, he had been Prom King, and married his childhood sweetheart. He had effortlessly earned a degree and walked into a job where he was still on the top rung, or at least was in very short order. However, once things had started to go wrong, it was humiliating. He was regularly meeting people at the Employment Centre that he had bossed around and humiliated for years, all of whom he was sure were laughing at him for his fall from grace. He had no choice but to smile through his teeth whenever he met someone that knew him and was doing a little better offering him sympathy but secretly believing they had to be loving seeing him in the gutter. Gia was the last straw.

It would be a lie to say that he'd never known anyone that was gay. He wasn't of a generation that didn't acknowledge it, they just always saw it as something shameful, something to scorn. He could remember the locker-room talk whenever one of the guys got badly hurt in a game and complained about it...God help him if he cried. He had led the charge on such campaigns a few times, even into the workplace. By the time he was a supervisor in the plant, he had little time for people trying to tell him that discrimination existed. After all, the solution was simple wasn't it? Don't ask, don't tell. If people didn't want to be scorned for their lifestyle choices, then all they had to do was keep it to themselves right? He had learned that from his own parents long ago. Then...it happened.

He had gone into the job centre, finding a few people that he used to work with still desperately looking for work, but a few just hanging around for interviews or reviews. He saw a couple of them with tablets and other devices, looking stuff up. As he walked in, they were suddenly quiet. He didn't think much of it at the time. He just presumed it was some residual respect from the fact he used to be their boss. As he went to sign in, one guy stood up.

"Hey, Gerald." He greeted him, coming over. "I'm a little surprised to find you here."

"I don't know why, I'm looking for work." He replied.

"Well, I think it's interesting all things considered." The guy replied, coming closer. The others just looked to the scene as he approached Gerald, almost like they were expecting something to happen. "I thought you'd be at home with your family."

Gerald rounded on him, seeing it was Terrance, a guy he had made no secret of his disdain for at the plant. Although Terrance had always been one of the best workers, he always made a habit of picking on him, and he encouraged others to do the same. The reason...Terrance had made the grave error of being dropped off by his boyfriend one day. He was a fair target as far as Gerald was concerned.

"Well, it's not like you'd know what it's like to have a family is it?" Gerald spat as he rounded on him. "What can you tell me...?"

"You think all this is a choice, a fad right?" Terrance asked. "You know, that if the parents do their job right, then it doesn't happen?"

"What are you...?" Terrance then showed him the tablet, showing Gia's journal. Gerald started to read it, finding himself sickened as he did so. He loved his daughter; he had done since she was small enough that his huge hands almost completely held her. He had raised her, taught her for all his years right from wrong, but as he read...it was like she had taken everything he believed and spat on it. He had allowed Emma in his house many times, even for sleepovers, but reading this...he had to wonder what exactly had happened. He thrust the tablet back into Terrance's chest.

He looked around, and realised that the whole room, most of whom had been people he had bullied and lorded over for years, people who had every reason to want to see him fail had all been there to see his ultimate failure. His daughter was not who he believed her to be. She had taken everything he had invested in her, everything he believed, and flushed it down the toilet for her own selfish...He couldn't contain himself any longer, and stormed out to a chorus of laughter.

Back in the present, he arrived at the interview room, and was shown inside. As he went in, he saw Eric pacing behind the table. He flicked a glance into the corner to make sure the light on the video camera was on, remembering the last time they had met. He didn't want a repeat performance of the spectacular beating he'd ended up getting when Eric stopped him skipping the city.

"Eric." Gerald greeted him. Eric just gestured to the table.

"Sit down Gerald, we need to talk." Eric told him. Gerald did so, checking again that the camera was on. He knew it was unlikely Eric would do anything in a crowded prison where there were numerous guards to apprehend him, but that didn't take away memories of their fight.

Where Gerald had been King of the School, Eric was more...like the Knight Errant. He wasn't from a rich family, and he had to work hard for his accomplishments. He and Gerald were friends, but more like acquaintances when all was said and done. Eric kind of acted as a gofer and guard to Gerald, handling things that he didn't want to sully his hands with throughout High School. Once they graduated, while Gerald went straight to the college of his choosing, the only way Eric could afford to go to college was through a military scholarship, meaning he had signed up to the marines straight after graduation. It was a different path, but it had turned out to work out well for him.

"I'm guessing..."

"Stop this Gerald." Eric said quietly. "Stop it now. Nothing happened."

"Why don't we let the papers decide that?" Gerald asked. "Of course, if Michelle..."

"It's over Gerald, accept that!" Eric cut him off. "You turned your back on Gia, and kicked her out on the street! Thank God Ernie took her in!"

"I guess you haven't heard, between my layoff and my long period of unemployment, I've had a lot of stress." Gerald reminded him. "I wasn't thinking clearly."

"We both know that isn't the case." Eric whispered, pulling closer. "You were an evil-minded, judgemental piece of shit in school, and you haven't changed."

"You know for someone who wants something, you're adopting an unusual strategy." He replied with a smile. "Now, if it turns out that Michelle was screwing around on me..."

"You KNOW she wasn't!" Eric said sternly, though taking care to keep his voice down so the guards didn't come in and interrupt. He was hoping to reason with him. "Nothing happened that night, and I most certainly wasn't involved in an affair with her."

"Let's see how the press see that." Gerald repeated his threat. "You're already under pressure after those bombings. I wonder how people would feel if they thought you were too busy with my wife to pay attention to keeping some lunatic with nail bombs away from your clients."

"Gerald..."

"It might also put an interesting little spin on our fight at the bus depot." Gerald suggested. "Perhaps even the divorce in general?"

"This isn't going to do anyone any good Gerald." Eric said quietly. "Let it go."

"Why should I?" He asked. "After all, they are just photos. If you've got nothing to hide, why should they worry you?"

Eric just got up from the table.

"I've asked you nicely." Eric told him. "Please, don't do this."

"If Michelle..."

"If you think forcing her to stay married to you will get you what you want, you really are worthless!" Eric snapped angrily. "I'm asking you one last time. If you ever cared about Michelle, if you ever cared about Gia, if your friendship to me ever meant anything to you, please don't do this. It'll ruin too many people."

"Gia made her choices." Gerald said in disgust. "You did too when you stopped me leaving. If you'd let me go, none of this would be happening."

"Go ahead then, do what you want with the damned photos." Eric told him abruptly, making his way to the door and knocking on it. "Just one warning. No matter what happens, we're done."

"That's fine with me." Gerald stated as the door opened.

"We're done here." Eric told the guard as he left the room. As he was escorted out, he collected his belongings from the gate. He dialled his cell phone once he was outside.

"Michelle, it's me." Eric told her. "It looks like we're in for a fight after all."


	50. Vrak's New Plan

The remaining weeks of term went by quickly, meaning that now the Rangers were looking forward to having more time to themselves. From what they understood, a lot of the previous Ranger teams didn't actually attend school, which they imagined would free up their time. It wasn't like the Warstar or the Toxic Mutants were considerate enough to always wait until the school day was over.

Gia was getting dressed in her Braifreeze t-shirt, ready for her first real shift. Although Theo was there to run things until Ernie got back on his feet following the bomb attack, with the holidays beginning, they knew that he would need all the help he could get. Gia and Cat had agreed to take on shifts to help out. Nobody was quite sure exactly how Ernie managed to run the place single-handed.

As Emma came into the room, seeing Gia finishing up on her uniform, she couldn't help doing a double take.

"Well, at least the t-shirt is your colour." She commented. Gia shrugged in response.

"It's a small price to pay." Gia answered. "Ernie took a pretty big hit for us"

"Us?" Emma asked, with a little smirk.

"Yes, Cat's working there too." Gia groaned, shaking her head.

"Well, I guess we know why you're so eager to get started then." Emma replied with a smirk.

"Well, what are your plans for the day then?" Gia asked her.

"We're heading out into the woods." Emma informed her. "He said he wants to start sharing in my hobbies."

"Aww...that's so sweet." Gia teased her.

"Well, I agreed to help him train for a little while." Emma told her with a shrug. "I guess it's only fair, he's letting me drag him into the woods."

"For some alone time?" Gia asked her. Emma just grinned.

"I'd be lying if I didn't say that thought hadn't crossed my mind." She stated, starting to pack up a bag. Eric came into the room, carrying a newspaper, and put it down in front of the girls.

"Alright girls, I need to talk to you both about something." He told them, sitting down and gesturing to the paper.

"Wait...what?" Gia asked, checking out the headline. In many ways, Eric wondered why it had taken so long for Gerald to carry out his threat to publish the pictures. Although he had tried to get Gerald to reconsider, it wasn't like he had a whole lot to lose. He was already looking at some serious time for abduction, even if he did get the diminished responsibility judgement he was angling for. The fact that the rumours would harm Eric and Louise's reputations was just a bonus. "He's saying you're having an affair?"

"That's what he's claiming." Eric sighed. "I just wanted you both to hear this from me. The rumours aren't true, but that doesn't mean to say that the implications won't harm my reputation. It's a pretty underhanded thing he's doing, and the press may just try and use this to insinuate that I might not have been fully concentrating on the job in hand when I was defending the chemical plant."

"Trust him to start throwing mud around out of spite." Gia grumbled, looking to Eric. Although there was no way she could have known that Gerald would do something like this, it didn't stop her feeling a little guilty. Although she wanted nothing to do with Gerald anymore, and she suspected that the feeling was mutual, Eric had done so much for her. It wasn't fair that he was going through this. "I'm really sorry..."

"Don't be, this was nothing to do with you." Eric told her. "I'm the reason Gerald didn't manage to skip town, he has plenty of reason to hate my guts all on his own."

He pulled Gia into a hug, before doing the same with Emma.

"All we need to do is stick together and everything will be fine." He told them. "If anyone starts asking questions..."

"We'll tell them where they can stick their questions." Emma assured him. Gia nodded in agreement.

"You can count on that." Gia assured him.

"That's my girls." He replied. "Anyway Gia, you need to get a move on if you want a lift to the mall."

"I guess it would be good to be early for my first day." Gia replied with a shrug. "Thanks for Eric."

"I'll see you later tonight Emma." Eric told her. "Just warn Troy he better be a perfect gentleman or he'll have me to answer to."

"He is, dad." Emma assured him. "Besides, why exactly are you picking on Troy? Why aren't you warning Gia?"

"Because I've met Cat, and she's about as harmless as a wet paper towel." Eric chuckled. "No offence Gia, but she's still carrying that dragon around with her."

"None taken." Gia replied, smiling at Emma. "Remember, just stay safe and if he really cares about you..."

"That is such a double-standard!" Emma grumbled. "Sometimes you both really suck."

"I think she's had enough." Gia told Eric. "Besides, I should really be going."

"See you later." Emma answered as they left the house. She just continued to get her equipment ready. She smiled as she heard a knock on the back door.

"The door's open Troy." She called through. The door opened, and Troy made his way inside, smiling as he did so. He came over behind her, wrapping his arms around her.

"Troy, stop it." She giggled. "That Eagles' nest isn't going to document itself."

"I'm sure it'll be able to wait a few minutes." Troy told her, turning her around, looking into her face. "I mean, how often do we get the opportunity for a day to ourselves?"

"Not often I guess." She replied with a shrug. "I love the guys to bits, but it's not like we've spent much time apart since all this began."

"Tell you what, since you're so eager to get going, how about I help you with your stuff?" He asked her, taking some of her stuff and shoving it into his backpack. "The sooner we get out there, the sooner we can start enjoying the peace and quiet of the great outdoors."

"That sounds just about perfect." Emma replied.

Meanwhile, outside the Brainfreeze, the line was already starting to form by the time Gia arrived. It was the major social hub of Harwood's youth, and clearly they had missed it while it was gone. Gia was a little surprised to see just how eager the kids were to get back into the ice cream parlour.

"Wow, this is...really something." Gia remarked as she headed past the crowd, making her way to the door. Theo was standing just the opposite side of the door in a suit. He unlocked the door and allowed her in, gesturing to the other kids to stay back.

"Don't worry, it's not much longer." He assured the waiting customers. "We just want to make sure everything's perfect for the return of the hottest place in Harwood."

"Shouldn't that be the coolest?" Cat asked innocently. "We don't want the ice-cream to melt."

Gia just smiled a little. It really was a lame joke, but coming from Cat, she was willing to humour it. She looked to Theo.

"Wow, you're looking pretty sharp there." Gia complimented him as she went behind the counter, hanging up her jacket. "Don't you think it's a little much for the Brainfreeze though?"

"I'm acting as host for the festivities." He informed her, straightening up his tie. He gestured to a large screen TV above the counter. "We rented this for the day."

"Um...OK, is there a game on or something?" Gia asked a little uncertainly.

"Actually it was my contribution to the day." Noah answered as he came out of the back. "I've set up a video link to the hospital so that Ernie can say a few words. He can't be here in person, so this is the next best thing."

"Noah, that's a great idea." Gia complimented him with an enthusiastic smile. "He loves this place, I'm sure he'll love to be part of the re-opening."

"That's exactly what I was thinking." Noah answered. "Plus, Theo here promised me a free sundae if I set it up before the doors open."

"Hey, you can expect the biggest sundae you ever seen if Ernie can get to greet the guests." Theo assured him. He heard his cell phone ringing, and cursed under his breath. "Sorry, I need to take this. I'll be back in a little while."

As he left, Cat offered Gia a cappuccino. She just smiled as she accepted it.

"Wow, this looks great Cat." She complimented her.

"It took a little practice." Cat replied, showing her a tray full of dirty cups from where she had tried and failed previously. Gia just smiled.

"Well, I really appreciate it." Gia told her. Just then, Theo came back in, this time dressed in a Brainfreeze uniform.

"Alright, all the fruit's chopped, all the toppings are ready, and the chocolate sauce is nicely mixed, we're ready for opening!" He declared. "So who's ready to sell some sundaes?"

"I guess you re-thought the suit." Gia commented. Theo just looked at her and smiled.

"Yeah, not my style." He answered. "I think this is more in keeping with the style of the place."

"Personally I'm a little curious how you got changed so fast." Noah responded. Theo just smirked.

"I think you're about to find out." He replied as Theo walked back in. Gia, Cat and Noah all had to do a double-take, seeing the two of them in the same place at the same time.

"There are two of them!" Cat called out as she saw this. Noah stood up, looking between them.

"Wait, you're monozygotic twins!" He surmised. Theo just rolled his eyes.

"You did it again didn't you?" He asked. "Yes, this is my twin brother Luen. He kind of likes to mess with people."

"You should see how easily I managed to freak out all the guys at Jungle Karma." Luen answered as he put an arm around each of the girls. "It's just part of my charm..."

"Uh... Luen?" Gia said, looking to his arm. "Not really a smooth move."

"Come on, you can't really be sore about..."

"We're a couple." Cat informed herself, gesturing between herself and Gia. Luen just backed off.

"OK, my bad." He replied. Gia though had to smile. It still felt odd to hear Cat describe them as a couple. There was a time she had believed she would never have that kind of connection with someone. Noah finally connected up the screen.

"Alright, we're in business!" He responded as the screen came up, and Ernie appeared on it. He was still in the hospital, but he was sitting up on the bed, smiling to see the restaurant he loved so much ready to re-open.

"Theo, the place looks great." He complimented him. "You really did a marvellous job."

"Luen did most of the heavy lifting." Theo assured him. "Manual labour was always more his thing than mine."

"You have no idea how much it means to me to see all of you working so hard to help me out." Ernie told them. "I really appreciate everything you've all done."

"We were all glad to help Ernie." Gia assured him.

"Alright then, if we're all ready, then I think it's time." Theo declared, heading for the doors and unlocking them. As he did so, the kids stampeded inside, bowling him over on their way to the counter. Gia just shrugged.

"So much for pomp and ceremony." She replied with a shrug, before approaching her first customer. "How may I help you?"

In another part of town, Jordan and Jake were practicing with the school soccer team. Jake kicked the ball, which soared straight through Jordan's hands and into the net as he hit the ground.

"And Holling scores again, and America is officially the Champions of the World!" He called out, simulating crowd noises. Jordan just sighed as he got up.

"You know it does help when we don't have a real goalie." Jordan reminded him. "I'm a midfielder, I'm hopeless in goal."

"Hey, someone needs to do it, it's not like it's my fault Eddie transferred after the season." Jake replied. "Still, I guess it would be an idea to start looking for a new goalie."

"You think?" Jordan asked. Just then, they saw an explosion some way off. Jordan and Jake just looked at each other.

They had to wait for the others to run off, before doubling back. Jake had his communicator at the ready, already contacting Gosei.

"Gosei, we heard the blast." Jake told him. "We're not far."

"It's coming from the juvenile detention facility." Gosei informed them. "Vrak has attacked the facility."

"Wait...he's attacking Juvie?" Jordan asked. "Why?"

"I don't know, but he's got a lot of captive victims there." Jake reminded him. Jordan just shook his head.

"Yeah, do remember that most of those kids DESERVE to be there." Jordan reminded him. Jake just looked a little stunned.

"Sure, they deserve to be punished, but they don't deserve to die." Jake snapped back. "Come ON!"

As they approached the juvenile detention centre, they both morphed, ready for battle. Numerous Loogies were running around in the yard, chasing and attacking any of the inmates and guards unlucky enough to be out in the yard. Vrak saw the two Rangers approaching.

"I suppose it was too much to hope for that you would leave well enough alone." He sneered. "You even come to the rescue of the worst of your kind."

"Believe me, these aren't the worst." Jake replied. "Now leave them alone!"

"I would, but I have some business I need to attend to." He told them, before gesturing to the Loogies. "Stop me, or save the sheep...it's up to you."

With that, the Loogies turned and started to fire on the inmates and the guards. Jordan and Jake rushed to intercept as the battle commenced. Vrak just blasted a hole in the wall, and headed inside, looking for his objective.

Over at the Brainfreeze, Noah heard his morpher bleeping, and started to gesture wildly to Gia. He knew he couldn't whip out his morpher in the middle of the restaurant. Being unable to raise Gia's attention over the volume of the raucous crowd, and decided to just go. He knew that Gia would catch up when she could. He got outside, and pulled out his morpher.

"Gosei, what is it?" He asked.

"Vrak has attacked the juvenile detention centre." He informed him. "Jordan and Jake are already in battle. Troy and Emma are on their way."

"I'll get there as quickly as I can." Noah replied as he looked around for somewhere to morph. Once he did so, he knew he could teleport to the site of the battle. As he headed into a photo booth, Theo watched as a flash of light came out from under the door. He just smiled.

"Well, I guess it was only a matter of time before I found one of them." He stated, heading into the back, pulling out his sunglasses.

Back at the detention centre, Emma and Troy arrived, and were a deciding factor in the battle. The army of Loogies quickly fell under the combined power of the Rangers. The warden ran out to where the Rangers were, leading the guards in rounding up the inmates and getting them back inside.

"I think these belong to you." Jordan stated as he dragged three of the inmates to a guard. "Alright, what was that about?"

"Vrak isn't normally about simple carnage." Troy stated. "If he came here, he obviously had something in mind."

"But what is there here that Vrak could want?" Jake asked. "It's not like there's much in the way of weapons here...and the Warstar have much better weapon's tech anyway."

"That...doesn't make sense." Emma commented. "There is literally nothing here he could want."

"Alright, we've done a head count of the inmates." The Warden informed them. "There's a couple missing."

"Well, there's a huge hole in the fence over there." Jordan replied, gesturing to the place Vrak had carved his way in. "I guess it's only to be expected."

"There's one thing that I think will mean something to you." The Warden told them. "Especially since you helped bring this guy in."

"You're telling me Spider got out?" Troy asked, seeing Emma's reaction. It was a couple of weeks since the whole incident, but it was still a pretty big thing for her. Jake just sighed.

"Thanks for letting us know." He stated. Just then, Noah appeared next to them. "Hey Noah, thanks for showing up."

"Sorry, you have no idea how crazy the Brainfreeze was." He said apologetically. "So what's happening?"

"That's what we're trying to figure out." Troy replied. "Noah, we might need your tech skills."

"Sure." He replied as they teleported away. He watched as Troy put his arm around Emma, and felt the sickness creeping up in him again. Sure, they needed his tech skills, what else was he good for?

Meanwhile, far from the city, Spider woke up to find himself in the old plant, on the floor in front of Bluefur.

"Well, thank you for the gift." Bluefur stated, leaning forward in his throne. "But other than a snack, what good is he to me?"

"You really are short-sighted aren't you?" Vrak asked him. "This human nearly did something that none of us have been able to do. He nearly took down three Power Rangers."

"Wait, what?" Spider shrieked. "Wait, no, I wasn't trying to...I mean...I was there to destroy the chemical plant!"

"But you have a unique mind, one that managed to engineer a trap that nearly took out some of the Rangers." Vrak told him. "I have a feeling that you might just make a very effective weapon for our cause."

"But...I don't want to face the Rangers!" Spider shrieked. "I only want what you want! I want man to stop poisoning the planet!"

"Ah, you see, this is where we have a problem." Vrak sighed. "You seem to be under the mistaken impression we're giving you a choice."

With that, Spider felt himself held fast by a couple of Loogies. He watched in horror as he saw a mutant bringing a vial of the toxic waste that had created them, while Vrak presented a tarantula to him.

"I've been doing some research into the nature of their mutation." He explained. "Perhaps you will see things differently once you're one of them."

The warehouse reverberated with Spider's screams as they began.

Fin.

**A/N: **Firstly, I have to apologise for the length of time since my last update. A period of ill health has seriously hampered my writing schedule. So, thank you for your patience.

Secondly, yes, this story IS over. I felt it was about time to end it, and start another one to dedicate to the next stage of the war. I thank everyone for their support, and hope you enjoyed it.


End file.
